Mad World
by Rincewind2.0
Summary: Ichigo's home country is at civil war and he joins the resistance force to help free his people from tyranny. How will he and his friends survive in the battlefield among the bullets and treachery when you cannot even trust your fellowmen?
1. Chapter 1

_**Got the idea from the episode of Cowboy Bepop where they show people fighting a war in the desert. I've been wanting to write something about a war, mainly because I've learned a lot about the Ireland's war for independence and because it has some things in common with the Finnish history. Civil wars are just usually the bloodiest and cruelest, to my opinion at least. I know it's pretty stupid writing about this kind of topic in a fanfic, with characters from a manga -.-' But hey, I'm not imaginative enough to figure out characters of my own just yet so Tite Kubo's will do.**_

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><p><strong>Chapter 1. <strong>_**Heavy heart to carry**_

If one had to choose a place where to live on Earth, desert would most likely be somewhere quite low on that list. The sun beats down mercilessly on anyone who dwells on the desert's surface during the day and at night the temperature drops below zero. Sandstorms are a regular nuisance, sometimes lasting for days and filling every possible cavity with the coarse sand. The sand isn't just in one's eyes, it's in your mouth, in your ears, it gets under your clothes and into your lungs, into your food until you don't even remember a time when you didn't hear the grating of sand as you tried to eat. Your skin dries up and starts to flake, until the skin on your fingertips is so dry it forms painful cracks that make using your fingers hurt like hell. You had to eat and drink more than usually since surviving through the extreme heat uses up all your energy and dries your body. Dehydration can kill a person in a matter of days. Hypothermia during the cold nights was another danger, so you need a safe haven where you can keep warm.

Ichigo knew all that, the information had been drilled into his skull ever since he had joined the resistance forces. He had trained by spending weeks in the desert, sleeping under the surprisingly bright night sky and shivering in the cold, trying to keep warm by lying close to the other recruits. Many had cried during those cold nights when the eerie desert burst into live, lizards, snakes and insects crawling up from the sand and patting over their wrapped up bodies. Ichigo had grimaced at the sight of large scorpions scuttling over his legs and had had to fight back the urge to kick it off. He had tried to think of his little sisters back home, his idiot dad and his mother who had been killed by the army soldiers when he was just a child. His father hadn't really even tried to stop him when he had told him he wanted to join the resistance forces the day he turned 18. Ichigo could swear he had seen a shadow of a smile flash on his father's face when he had said goodbye to them, jumping into the car that took him to the recruitment base. His sisters had cried, well, Yuzu had. Karin had just brooded at him, not even hugging him back as he left.

Few of his friends had joined in too. Ichigo glanced at the towering form of Chad who was sitting across him at the back of the jeep that was driving them to their destination. Beside Chad sat Ishida, his quick hands sowing some scarf that had been torn during practice. At the very back of the bus sat their troop commander, a small lithe woman with long purple hair and who moved with cat like grace. She had beaten them all at least a dozen times by now, teaching them the basics of hand-to-hand combat. Her name was Yoruichi and it was rumoured she had once been one of the generals in the army. Ichigo didn't wonder why, the woman was a killing machine even if he had never seen her use a weapon of any kind. She was strict but fair, always pushing them to their limits and beyond them. She was one of the reasons the resistance movement was slowly getting the upper hand of the army.

The jeep heaved and all the passengers on the opposite side almost crashed into the laps of the people on the other side. Ichigo moved his hands in front of him to catch a young man who had barely turned fifteen. The boy flashed him an embarrassed smile as he drew back to his seat, now grabbing hold of the bench so tight his knuckles turned white. Yoruichi hadn't even moved, she just shook her head seeing her newest patch stumble so hard just from a small bump on the road. There were far worse things ahead than some tough car rides.

"Not long anymore guys" she shouted at them over the noise of the car rustling on the road and the howling wind whipping around them. Sand was pushing through the canvas wrapped around the jeep, stinging their eyes and flying into their mouths. Ichigo licked his cracked lips, even the Vaseline he used to moisturize them was filled with sand and merely peeled off the sensitive skin, making them bleed. He heard a muffled sob beside him and saw that the guy sitting next to him was crying silently, tears streaming down his face. He hesitated for a moment but then nudged him lightly on the shoulder.

"You alright?" he asked quietly, not wanting to draw more attention to him. The guy nodded, lowering his face. His hands were squeezing the fabric of his pants.

"My…my uncle was… killed yesterday. By the army. He…he was a sergeant in the forces" he managed to mumble, "I…I was supposed to serve under him."

Ichigo could understand the young man's pain. He could still feel the hurt that the knowledge of his mother's death had caused like he had heard the news just seconds ago. It tightened his chest and squeezed around his heart, stifling his tongue so he couldn't talk or even breathe. He felt a kick on his foot and turned to see Ishida staring at him intently. Ichigo knew he had done it just to distract him from his thoughts and flashed him a quick smile. Ishida nodded back at him and turned his attention to the scarf on his hands. Chad gazed at him under his mob of curly hair, nodding slowly and reaching to pat him on the knee. Ichigo hemmed and glanced at the recruit beside him. He was wiping his face into his head scarf, sniffling a little still.

"I'm fine" he mumbled to Ichigo who gave him a meaningful look. The orange haired young man patted him on the back and tried to force a warm smile on his face, which didn't quite suit him for some reason.

"You'll be fine" he murmured in a low tone.

"Yeah." Ichigo didn't want to harass the young man any longer and left him alone, returning to playing the waiting game until the jeep arrived to their destination.

Finally the car stopped and Yoruichi stood up, walking past them to jump out of the jeep. Men were running towards them, ready to greet their commander. The young man slowly followed her, stretching their stiffened limbs. The car ride had taken few hours and hadn't been the smoothest journey. Chad cracked his neck and back, he had had to hunch down in the small jeep. Ishida tucked away his needle and thread, glancing at Ichigo over his glasses. All the recruits stood awkwardly in their place as Yoruichi talked with other soldiers, an exceptionally tall dark man with braided hair and an impressive moustache and two younger kids, a boy and a girl, who looked like they were fourteen years old but wore the resistance forces typical uniform and badges.

"Ma'm Yoruichi, you have returned safely" the tall man said and saluted her. Yoruichi saluted him back by pressing two fingers on her forehead and smiled widely at the man.

"Good to see you too Tessai. Everything still in one piece?"

"More or less."

"Great" Yoruichi said and turned her eyes to the two young soldiers who saluted her, "Ururu, Jinta, I see you have been promoted since I last saw you."

"Yes, ma'm!" the kids answered in unison. Yoruichi patted them both on their heads, nudging their cheeks affectionally with her knuckles.

"Is Kisuke in his tent?" she asked the man called Tessai.

"Yes, he has called up an emergency meeting with the other generals, they are all present with the exception of general Sarugaki. She is on patrol."

"What emergency meeting?" Yoruichi frowned, lowering her voice so the recruits couldn't hear.

"General Urahara is trying to form an alliance with the private army forces of our neighbouring nation. If he succeeds, the size of our troops would be more than doubled."

"I thought they were adamant on staying neutral and not partaking on our war."

"General Urahara knows the commander of the army and most of the generals and has tried to plead with them to help spare innocent lives. The high commander is still resisting, but most of the generals are on our side. They might be able to talk the commander to our side."

"Sounds bit too good to be true" Yoruichi said, tilting her head to one side, "I wouldn't jump on the chance to ally with them, they might just betray us." Tessai's face was unreadable.

Ishida stepped closer to Ichigo, his eyes keen on Yoruichi and Tessai.

"Looks serious" he noted to the young man. Ichigo shrugged, he didn't really care as long as their orders sounded reasonable.

"War is serious business" he said, "not really surprised if something's wrong."

"I thought we were doing better lately" Ishida remarked, "at least according to the grapevine." A shadow loomed over them and they turned around to see Chad standing right behind them, his expression hidden under his hair.

"Whaddya think Chad" Ichigo asked the hulk of a man. Chad just shrugged his wide shoulders, a rumbling mumble resonating in his chest. Ishida sighed and rolled his eyes, turning to look back at Yoruichi and Tessai. Finally the woman nodded to Tessai and waved to the recruits, bidding them to follow her.

"Come on boys, let's get you settled!" she hollered at them. The young men walked over to her and followed as she walked through the camp site, passing huge number of tents and their new fellow soldiers who paid little if any attention to them. They arrived at a larger empty tent where Tessai was waiting for them. Yoruichi patted the large man on his arm as she stood next to him, the man towered over her by two feet if not more.

"Tessai here will help you find your bunks and gear, and that's sergeant Tsukabishi for you" she told her recruits who were standing awkwardly in line before her, "just do what he says and you'll be fine, otherwise you'll have to answer to me. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'm!" the recruits answered. Yoruichi flashed them a wide grin, she had at least managed to teach them something right.

"Great, now I'll be off to rub shoulders with the rest of the higher command, you get settled and get to know your new home. At ease, privates." After saluting her newest troops she left, strutting among the forest of tents and exchanging greetings with her fellow soldiers. Ichigo and his friends entered the empty tent where the sides were lined with hard-looking bunk beds with small chests at their feet.

"Each man gets his own bed and a chest for your equipment, your weapons and desert equipment are in the chest. Don't lose them, we can't spare any extras. You get your rations and water from the field diner, which is at the west side of the camp. Don't waste them, you'll need them soon enough. Today you can get adjusted but tomorrow morning at o' six hundred we begin your training. Be ready at the side of the training grounds by then, being late will cost you a punishment. There will be no fighting in the camp, safe your strength and anger to the enemy. Be ready to leave at any given time, attacks don't make themselves known beforehand. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" the recruits responded, bit overwhelmed by the sudden reality of the situation. Back at the boot camp fighting the war had seemed realistic but somehow distant. Now, standing in the tent that would be their home for who knows how long and given orders to expect an attack at any time made Ichigo's skin crawl. He tried to imagine applying the skills he had learned into real life situation, trying to imagine himself staring straight into the eyes of his enemy and pulling the trigger on his rifle to kill him. The thought seemed too brutal and vulgar his stomach churned, almost making him gag.

He felt Ishida's calculating eyes on him and tried to relax, breathing in deeply as he walked to a vacant bunk bed, unwrapping his scarf around his head and dropping it to the bed. Ishida reserved the bed next to him, and Chad on his other side. Ichigo sat down before even touching his chest, leaning his face into his hands. The bed was hard and the blanket looked itchy and thin, it wouldn't do him much good on a cold night. But he was by now already used to sleeping in extremely uncomfortable situations. It wasn't the coldness or the eerie sounds that bothered him during the nights, it was the sound of sobbing that was almost a constant reminder of just how far they were from their families and home, how there was no turning back now.

"You okay, Ichigo?" Chad's low, calming voice woke him from his thoughts, making him turn to look at the mountain of a man standing by the foot of his own bunk.

"Yeah, just peachy" he grinned lopsidedly, fiddling with his scarf, "how are you holding up?"

"Fine." Chad wasn't big on words, but he and Ichigo had never had to need for them anyway. They had a connection, they could say anything they needed with a single look or a simple gesture. It was comforting but also very useful in a tight spot.

Ishida was rummaging through his chest, taking out neatly folded up clothing and small boxes filled with ammo. His rifle rested already on his bed, it had been on top of the chest.

"Anything exciting there Ishida?" Ichigo asked him as he took off his boots, shaking out the excess sand. The pale young man pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose and put his things back into the chest.

"One rifle, four boxes of ammo, about 40 shells each, spare underwear, socks and bit thicker versions of our current uniforms, and spare shoelaces. That's it" he listed as he got up to his feet, dusting off his trousers.

"Sounds reasonable I guess" Ichigo said, scratching the back of his neck. Ishida sighed again, shaking his head.

"It's not even the bare minimum, do you know how much ammo a soldier uses in an hour? Approximately fifty. And the last larger battle lasted for three straight days, with constant fire. We'll be out of ammo in just few hours and after that it's just sitting there and hoping the enemy will get too depressed to kill us all."

"Aren't you being bit over-dramatic?" Ichigo asked, leaning back on his bunk bed and crossing his hands behind his head, "I'm sure the generals know what they're doing."

"Of course you would." Ichigo scowled at Ishida.

"What's that supposed to mean?" The young man swatted the air with his hand, dismissing the question.

"Nothing, just forget it."

Ichigo scoffed and turned to his side, his back to Ishida. Chad was sitting on his own bunk, holding a small book in his huge hands.

"Whatcha reading there Chad?" The man raised his eyes to Ichigo, their solemn gaze steady as ever.

"It's something my grandfather left me. He fought in the war himself, in his time."

"Oh yeah" Ichigo asked, propping himself up on his elbow, "What war was that?"

"The war of independence, over sixty years ago. He was my age when he was enlisted."

"Oh, okay" the young man nodded, "which side did he fight on?" Chad was silent for a few seconds too long. Ishida slapped Ichigo on the back of his head.

"The Royal Guards" Chad mumbled so quietly it was barely audible. Ishida's head whipped around as he looked if anyone had been close enough to hear.

"It would be wiser to keep those details to yourself, Sado" he said and glared at Ichigo who just looked confused, "we don't want our real allies to stab us in the back too."

"Wh- what do you mean?" The young man sighed and pressed his fingers to his temples as he did every time Ichigo said something he thought stupid, which was often enough.

"People are on edge Kurosaki, the last thing we need is to some old scorn to come up and make us all fight each other. The old monarchy was decapitated and their heads were stuck on pikes on the city wall, that's how bad it was. And now people are saying they want to do the same to Aizen when we get to him, if we ever do."

"But what does that have to do with Chad's grandfather?" Ichigo's brows knitted together as he tried to wrap his head around this history lecture.

"Well, some say if the royal family hadn't been inbred and completely insane this whole war might've never happened, saving us millions of lives. Maybe if the Royal Guards had been faithful to the people and not those mad old royals, they could've done something to prevent all this instead of spitting the whole nation. You do know that the leader of the Royal Guards allied with Aizen, preferring a military lead government rather than a republic? I cannot believe you've come this far and be so ignorant." Ichigo huffed out a breath and lopped back to his bed, closing his eyes as a sign of not listening anymore. Ishida scoffed and walked out of the tent with angry strides. Ichigo cracked open his other eye and watched the young man disappear from the tent into the camp.

"He's tense" he noted to Chad who had been silent for the impromptu lecture.

"His grandfather was the personal doctor of the Queen" Chad said, turning a page from his small book. Ichigo made a face and sighed.

"Who here isn't somehow connected to either the royals or the enemy?" He glanced at his friend still focused on his reading.

"What did he mean that I would think the generals know what they're doing?" Chad raised his eyes from the book and stared into Ichigo's eyes, his unexpressive eyes almost scary in their calm.

"Some say your father served in the army, in pretty high rank too." Ichigo chortled and shook his head.

"Sorry, have you ever seen my dad? Could you imagine him fighting a war, he can't even control my two little sisters for God's sake, let alone command troops. No way man, that's just some bullshit." Ichigo crossed his hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling above him. Around them the other recruits were chattering quietly or just sitting on their beds, processing their new surroundings and slowly realizing the situation they were in. Ichigo could see on the other side in the far corner a young boy had curled into a ball and was probably crying. He felt a bit sorry for him but joining the resistance was voluntary, plus you could leave during training period any time you wanted or the trainers thought you weren't suitable for service they could even sent you home. No one wanted to end up in the battle field with a partner who could snap any second or just fall into pieces under pressure.

The resistance movement didn't trust strength in numbers, rather in the quality of recruits, making sure everyone got proper training and was ready for battle at any time in any situation. Most of the army's troops were forced to join, plenty of them poor peasants or just farm workers from small rural villages. Many young men in the resistance force had lost their fathers to the service, having witnessed their father's being dragged out of their homes by force had left a permanent mark in their memory. It showed on their faces when there was talk about the army, a shadow was cast over their young features and their postures tensed up. Some could use it to their advantage, letting the anger give them strength but some became reckless, they couldn't control their emotions yet.

_Forget your previous life._That's what they had been told on their first day. The resistance force leaders knew the reason why many joined was personal vendetta but they couldn't have young men running around screaming bloody murder and getting themselves slaughtered.

"_Everyone here has their own story. I know it's hard but for now you must let that go, you can't let your emotions take over you when you're in battle. One second can get you killed or worse, your partner. If you let down your partner because you were busy crying after you mother or father or sister or brother you're not fit for a soldier. You need to focus on the enemy, not on yourself."_Ichigo grimaced as Yoruichi's words repeated themselves in his head. He was able to act calm during battle, or at least during training he had, but he could still see the image of his mother's bloodied body lying on the ground every time he picked up his rifle. It made everything feel cold and quiet and all the movement around him seemed to slow down. Then when he had fired the first shot all turned to normal as he reloaded his gun and tried to keep an eye on the enemy at the same time. After battle he felt extremely tired, being on your guard for hours on end and having adrenaline course through your veins for that long made you crash quite quickly once it was over. During the weeks when they had trained day and night without a proper break had been a nightmare, but they were still nothing compared to real battles, where the other side actually wanted you dead.

Ishida returned to the tent, carrying in his arms wrapped up rations and water bottles. He threw them at Chad and Ichigo, who caught them midair.

"Thanks" Ichigo smirked and peered into the wrapped pack of rations. It wasn't much, some dried beef and bread, plus protein bars. The water bottle was full though. He could hear the liquid sloshing against the bottle's sides as he held it in his hand.

"It's not much but it'll have to do" Ishida said and sat down on his bunk. Ichigo felt his stomach rumble, he hadn't eaten since breakfast and that had been several hours ago. A small portion of thin porridge didn't fill a grown man's stomach for long.

"They're serving dinner at the canteen tonight" Ishida noted, probably hearing the groaning of his friend's stomach, "beans and rice, apparently."

"Sounds good right about now" Ichigo replied, placing his rations in his chest.

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><p>Yoruichi pulled aside the heavy fabric that covered the doorway of the large tent in the middle of the camp. Inside the tent there was a large wooden desk covered with maps, navigation equipment, magnifying glasses and other miscellaneous papers and scrolls. The desk was currently surrounded by the generals of the resistance force, with the exception of general Sarugaki, as Tessai had told Yoruichi before. As she entered the tent, her fellow soldiers turned to look at her and saluted her in a relaxed fashion. Only now she noticed the presence of a stranger, standing beside their unofficial leader Kisuke Urahara. She recognized the man instantly, despite it had been several years since she'd last seen him. Her face split into a wide smile and she walked to him, wrapping her arms around the man's neck.<p>

"'S good to see you, Shunsui" she greeted him, almost squeezing the life out of him with her hug. The man hugged her back with equal force, raising her feet up the ground.

"It's been too long Yoruichi" the tall man said as he let go off her. Yoruichi grabbed a strand of the man's long, curly hair between her fingers and twirled it in her hand.

"You've changed your hair" she noted smilingly. Shunsui Kyoraku, one of the oldest generals of the private army forces of their neighboring nation smiled down at Yoruichi, the lazy grin playing on his scruffy features and his keen eyes twinkled with laughter.

"I could say the same thing to you" he replied, ruffling the woman's hair affectionately. The other generals exchanged odd looks, Yoruichi usually wasn't this affectionate, even with Kisuke who she allegedly shared some history. Only Kisuke himself smiled at the two old friends meeting again, he had been equally amiable upon seeing his old friend.

"Alright, if we're done with the pleasantries here, might I suggest you bring your attention back to the plan" he finally said. Time was at the essence.

"Right, sorry Urahara" Shunsui smiled and coughed, leaning his hands on the desk, "please, do continue."

"Thank you" the blonde man said and pointed at a location on the large map that covered most of the desk, "according to our latest knowledge, Aizen has sent some smaller troops here, separating them from the main army and trying to go round our defense lines. Apparently there are only few elite soldiers that have been sent there, but they are very dangerous and not to be underestimated. That mistake has been done before." Here he glanced at Yoruichi, who scoffed and threw her head back. She tried hard not to flex her left arm that still ached when she tried to do some more demanding moves.

"General Kyoraku here has agreed to at least provide us with some more information that their troops have collected and maybe even lend us their helping hand" Kisuke continued, glancing at the said man from under his blonde mob of hair. Shunsui hemmed and scratched his chin, the stubble made a rasping sound as it connected with his fingers.

"Yes, I've managed to smuggle some information with me here, I hope it's useful" he said and pulled out a scroll somewhere inside his robes. He handed it to Kisuke who took it carefully and slowly unfolded it before him. His eyebrows disappeared under his fringe as he eyed through the document and gave a quick courteous bow to Shunsui.

"This is incredibly useful, thank you ever so much."

"Don't mention it. Anything to help a friend."

"Speaking of that, how are the negotiations going, is the old man still adamant on his case?" Shunsui sighed and his hand went to the back of his head.

"You know old Yama-jii, he's stubborn as an old mule. But I think that maybe he's coming round, Ukitake's been harassing him for the past few months now, you know how he's his favourite. I think we might have a good chance here." Kisuke looked relieved, though he tried to hide it. He didn't want to give his troops false hopes.

"That sounds better than expected. I'm counting on you Kyoraku." The man nodded and gave the generals an encouraging smile. They didn't look very convinced.

"What if we don't get their help? How good are these elite guys anyway?" asked Kensei Muguruma, a tall burly man with short silvery hair and keen eyes.

"Yeah, I don't know if we should really count on their help, we should have a plan B" added Love Aikawa, a dark- skinned man with a large afro he tried to stuff under his scarf.

"Oh you guys, don't be so negative! Why wouldn't they wanna help us?" Mashiro Kuna put in, folding her arms under her ample chest. Kensei winced at the sound of her high-pitched voice and threw a stern glare at her.

"Aizen was once part of the private army, remember? He's learned from the best, they know exactly how dangerous he can be. Why would they want to endanger themselves for our sake?"

"I think it would only serve them well to fight against Aizen now when we still have a chance. I don't think his lust for power will stop even if he defeats us, he'll probably move onto other countries after that" said Rorujo Otoribashi, a tall slim man with wavy blonde hair and elegant features.

"Pfft, the old man probably hopes they can attack Aizen after he's suffered enough damage fighting us and is weakened. He won't go into a fight if he isn't sure they'll win" argued Lisa Yadomaru, cocking her head to one side and throwing a challenging look at Shunsui. The man smiled at her plaintively, making the woman turn her eyes away.

Shinji Hirako, a skinny man with bob-cut blond hair and disturbingly large straight teeth sighed and rubbed his face with his hand.

"There's really nothing we can do anymore, is there? Besides trying to stay alive long enough for them to decide what they're gonna do, eh?" he asked, eyeing his companions around him. They murmured something remotely agreeable and turned to look at Kisuke again, who had been listening to their comments, his eyes fixed on the map in front of him. His fingers drew circles on their own current location, enclosing their campsite.

"Yes, that's about right" he finally said, "that's what it boils down to." Yoruichi snorted and banged her fist on the desk.

"What is this simpering and complaining? You don't really sound generals who've been fighting for your people and your country for the last ten years." She challenged everyone to argue with her with her feline like eyes, but no one dared to anger her.

"Hey Hachi" she called out the incredibly large man who had been quiet for the whole time, "you're the only sensible guy in this lot, what do you say?" Everybody turned to look at Hachigen Ushoda, who usually preferred to stay in the background of things, he was the leading medic in the resistance force. He now coughed awkwardly and pressed his hands together in front of him, choosing his words carefully.

"I think our first priority should be our own people and ensuring their safety amidst all this chaos" he uttered slowly, keeping his eyes cast down to his own hands, "they are the reason we are doing this." Lisa rolled her eyes but others smiled kindly, it was good to be reminded of the most important things in times like these.

"Yes, Hachi is right, we should keep in mind the very reason we are all still here and not hiding under a rock somewhere" Kisuke said, "we have done all we can to improve our chances against Aizen but we must remember to keep our cool. Yoruichi just brought a new patch of recruits today, you're going to meet them tonight at dinner. So I suggest we all cheer up and try to enjoy ourselves while we still have the chance, we can worry about these elite soldiers in due time. Dismissed." The generals left the tent, leaving Kisuke alone with Shunsui and Yoruichi. The blonde man sighed and ran his hands through his muzzled hair, grinning feebly at the two others.

"How bad was that?" he asked them, earning a dismissive wave of hand from Shunsui and a derisive snort from Yoruichi.

"I think they're doing fine, considering the circumstances" Shunsui argued. Yoruichi cocked an eyebrow and reached towards Kisuke to snatch the scroll from his hands. The man tried to keep it from her but failed, Yoruichi smirking widely at him as she rolled the paper open and read it through quickly. Her eyes widened as she read the last lines, crumbling the paper in her hands as she was finished.

"Is this true?" she asked, hissing the words between her clenched teeth. Shunsui and Kisuke exchanged quick glances but knew they couldn't lie straight to Yoruichi's face.

"That's what our intelligence has revealed on them, yes" Shunsui admitted. Yoruichi slammed the scroll down on the desk with a loud bang.

"This is just one unit! If they have nine more, what the hell are we going to do?"

"That's why we are so desperate on trying to get Shunsui and the others to help us" Kisuke said, "and that's why we needed you to bring in the new recruits, we need more men."

"You aren't going to send them against these guys, are you?" Yoruichi looked appalled, "They're just kids, they have no chance! They'll be slaughtered!"

"Yoruichi, we need more time to prepare, we need to make sure this information is correct."

"So you're just going to send those boys into their certain death just to see what happens? You can't be serious!" Kisuke groaned and slammed his fist against the desk.

"Yoruichi, this is war! They knew what they signed up for!"

"No, they signed up for defending their families and their country, not to be sent into a battle with some monsters!" Yoruichi glared daggers at Kisuke, Shunsui had taken a step back not to get caught in the middle of those two.

"Your new troops are to be sent in the pass on the north side in two days. If you don't want them to die, you better make sure they're prepared." Kisuke lowered his gaze to the maps, clearly indicating this conversation was over. Yoruichi's hands balled into tight fists and for a second she actually considered punching the man but instead clicked her heels together and stormed out, almost tearing off the tent door as she went. Shunsui raised his eyebrows, he remembered Yoruichi possessed a somewhat quick temper but he'd never seen them fight like this. _Well what do you expect, they're at war. It changes people._

"You alright there, Urahara?" he asked the general who had been staring at the same spot on the map for few good minutes. The man snapped his head up and flashed a quick smile at Shunsui.

"Yes yes yes, never the better. This whole war thing, it's just so complicated" he said dismissively, trying to force out a laugh. Shunsui patted him on the shoulder.

"I know. I'll talk to the others, they really want to help you."

"Thank you Kyoraku, we all appreciate your efforts." Kisuke smoothed down his robes and straightened himself up, trying to look like a leader.

"You want to join us for dinner?" he asked his old friend, who shook his head.

"No, I think I'd better leave. I have my own troops to take care of, they'll miss me if I'm gone for too long."

"I thought you had Nanao taking care of everything." Shunsui chuckled.

"Well yes, but she still needs me, or at least my signature. You take care, Urahara." With that, Shunsui left the tent and disappeared into the darkening night.

Kisuke could see the bonfires being lit all around the camp and heard the men chattering with each other, everyone heading towards the canteen for their dinner. He thought about meeting the newest recruits and seeing the very same faces he had just ordered to be slaughtered in a matter of days. He pressed his face into his hands, standing silently still for few minutes before he braced himself and walked out of the tent, trying to silence the guilt that was strangling his throat like a noose being tightened with every step he took. He saluted some of the young men who walked past him, hearing their cheerful banter and laugh felt like daggers stabbing his skull. He walked into the diner, straight to the table situated at the back of the huge tent and took his place among his generals. Yoruichi wasn't there, as expected. He exhaled slowly as he prepared to give his men the talk everyone waited for him to give, the usual sentimental rubbish about country and fellowmen, about duty and honour and such nonsense that seemed so feeble now. _You're a coward Kisuke Urahara,_he thought as he stood up and asked for everyone's attention for just a few minutes, _a coward and a murderer._


	2. Chapter 2

_**Sorry, this took way longer than I expected. And it's bit shorter than the first one but our other protagonist makes his appearance!**_

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><p><strong>Chapter 2.<strong>_**Not right in the head**_

Ichigo lie awake in his bed, sleep seemed to elude him on this first night at the camp. He could hear Chad's steady breathing on his left side and Ishida's slightly wheezing, nasal snoring on his right. He could occasionally hear soldiers on patrol walking past their tent, talking to each other quietly and sometimes even laughing. It had felt weird trying to sleep knowing that one day you might witness all these people around you dying. Ichigo tried to imagine being in a battlefield, holding the lifeless body of a fellow soldier in his arms and crying for a medic. Just the thought made his stomach turn and he tried to forget it, but he felt pathetic, if he couldn't even take the mere thought of death how could he face it in battle? He turned on his side, his arm bend under his head. He had held his mother's dead body in his arms when he had been just a child so he had been touched by death before, unlike many of his friends here. They might have lost a family member but haven't witnessed it with their own eyes. Seeing the blood of your most loved one stain your hands and feeling how their skin turned cold and stiff, the lifeless glassy stare of their eyes as you tried to shake them back to live and cried their name from the top of your lungs. Even if you stared right into their eyes which once were so full of life you still tried to deny it, the hurt was too big to handle.

Slowly your brain and body just shut down, trying to protect you from going insane from the pain. The numbness was the worst, you felt bad because you weren't able to cry even though everyone around you is devastated and wants you to grief with them, trying to find some comfort from the shared pain. It wasn't because you weren't sad, you were so stricken by grief you thought nothing could ever overcome that dark, heavy feeling that pressed down on you and filled your every thought.

You would think the sadness would ease as time went by. But in a way it just got worse as you realized how much the person missed from your life. All the important moments, all the sad moments when you wanted to cry against their shoulder and hear them say it's going to be alright. Every time something amazing happened they would've been the first person you wanted to tell but they weren't there anymore. You felt sad for how much they missed from the world, how much more they should've seen and experienced. Ichigo screwed his eyes shut and tried to force sleep to come, but of course it didn't. He thought about whether he should just lay still and try to sleep or give up and go for a walk.

After a second's hesitation he kicked the itchy covers off himself and quietly sneaked out, glancing behind his back if anyone had noticed him leave. He stepped into the clear desert night, the stars shone so brightly on the dark blue sky. There were still many soldiers sitting around their bonfires, sharing anecdotes or just keeping each other company, chatting with those on patrol or waiting for their own turn. Ichigo didn't know whether he could just go and talk to these veterans of the war, he felt so young and inexperienced seeing these older men with scarred faces and worn clothes that had clearly seen more action than he. Instead, he decided to walk away from the other men and headed for the edge of the camp, trailing behind the patrolling soldiers. Some older soldiers glanced at him as he walked by, but said nothing. Ichigo was slightly relieved, he had feared they'd see a new recruit and decide to taunt him, break him in as they say. But apparently the general spirit in the camp was friendly, some soldiers even flashed him a quick smile as he walked by. He didn't slow down however, he didn't feel up to small talk at the moment.

Arriving at the edge of the campsite he felt a cool breeze pass him, making him tighten the robes around his lithe body. The wind made sand dance in the air and Ichigo quickly covered his face with his scarf, trying to prevent the dust from getting into his mouth. The vast desert spread out in front of him like an ocean made of golden soil, the dunes winding like solid waves. He'd seen those dunes moving like life creatures during sandstorms, it had almost been enough to make him feel seasick. Now the wind was relatively calm, only creating small whirlwinds of sand near the surface of the soil. Ichigo sat down, crossing his legs in front of him and leaned his elbows on his knees. The moon was out of sight, only stars were visible on the sky. Ishida had tried to teach him some constellations but he could never remember them. Chad was better learner than he, he always paid attention to every word the person said and remembered them all, like they were etched into his memory. Ichigo hemmed, wiping grains of sand from his eyes. He was happy he wasn't here all alone, a familiar face always made things feel a bit better.

Ichigo strained his vision as he saw something move in the distance. Something was weaving its way down the side of the large dune, snaking down like a mountain stream. Ichigo looked around to see if the patrolling soldiers were close, maybe they should be notified. The thing was closing the distance between itself and the camp quickly, even though it seemed to be moving on foot. Ichigo quickly scrambled up to his feet and staggered few steps back, cursing his stupidity for leaving his rifle behind. His head whipped around to see if the patrol was anywhere to be seen but somehow it seemed that he was suddenly all alone, the nearest tents looked empty and bonfires were only small embers now.

"Shit" Ichigo cursed and turned to look at the form that was now only thirty feet away. He could now make out that it was only a human being, dressed in similar body-covering robes as all of the people living in the desert, its face hidden behind a dark blue scarf. It wasn't bearing any visible weapons, but Ichigo knew that it was incredibly easy to hide weapons inside one's robes. He wished he would've at least brought along the knife that he usually kept strapped to his forearm but he had taken it off when going to bed, not wanting to stab himself while asleep. As the form was only few feet away, he crouched slightly down to a defensive position, ready to disarm the possible attacker and strike him down. To his surprise, the form halted and stayed there standing few feet away from him, its robes fluttering around it in the night wind. It wasn't wearing any standard symbols or badges of any army Ichigo knew, just plain robes made from a fabric of the darkest blue, making him almost invisible against the night sky.

Ichigo's muscles were trembling as he stood in a ready position, trying to stay alert as the form tilted its head to one side and seemed to be eyeing him carefully. Ichigo couldn't see its eyes clearly in the darkness but he could swear it looked somewhat amused.

"Is this how you greet a long lost brother?" it asked, its voice strangely lilting, words uttered in a weird almost sing-songy tone, like it was mocking him. Ichigo scowled at the apparition, shifting his feet slightly under him to keep his muscles from straining.

"The hell you're talking about" he grunted, closing and opening his fists and flexing his neck. The form chuckled in the same eerie voice and raised its hand to pull aside the cloth concealing its face. Ichigo exhaled slowly and batted his eyes to brighten his vision. He frowned as the form stepped forward, shuffling bit back to keep his distance to the stranger. It, obviously a he now, drew aside the scarf hiding his face and revealed pale, sharp features that looked eerily familiar. Ichigo had to strain his eyes again to make sure he wasn't seeing a mirage standing in front of him, the man's skin was white like the sands of desert during the night, he looked like he had been carved out of ivory. Even his long hair that was tucked under his head-wrapping was light grey as the ashes from a bonfire. His eyes that Ichigo could now see more clearly looked like the opposites of a reptile's eyes, yellow irises with black pupils. His angular face was fixed into a wide grin that made him look lunatic. He made Ichigo's skin crawl.

Ichigo slowly rose up to his feet, still ready to block a possible attack from the man. He didn't seem aggressive, though his eyes kept following every movement Ichigo made.

"What do you want?" The man laughed, his voice that Ichigo had first thought being distorted by his scarf was still as lilting and weird as before.

"I came to see you, of course" he replied, folding his arms across his chest. Ichigo could see the skin of his hands was the same colour as his face, pale white.

"Why?" the young man queried, earning another high- pitched chuckle from the stranger.

"Why, why, why indeed" he said mockingly, his eyes nailing Ichigo in his place, "I didn't remember you being so goddamn stupid, Ichigo."

"How do you know my name" Ichigo asked, slowly taking small steps back, the man mimicking his every move. He scoffed loudly and shook his head, his ashen hair spilling out from under his scarf.

"Please spare me from this pretended amnesia or whatever shit you're playing here, I ain't got the time or the patience for it. I came here with a goddamn fire under my ass and you're really starting to piss me off." Ichigo was getting more confused by the second, for a moment he thought he must've been asleep and was having some weird dream but the cold breeze felt too real on his skin and the strain on his muscles was definitely existent. The man tapped his arm with his fingers, looking quite impatient, his smirk waning slowly. He quickly closed the rest of the short distance between him and Ichigo and grabbed the young man by the front of his robes.

"Listen you little dumb shit" he hissed at him between clenched teeth, "this is war, we don't have for your little games, people are dying! If you really wanna do something for your country you best snap out of it, now!" Ichigo could only stare into the stranger's eyes, feeling them bore into his skull and brain. Suddenly he understood why the man looked so strange to him, it wasn't just his appearance. It was like looking into a distorted mirror, a black and white picture of himself.

"Who are you" he wheezed out, grabbing hold of the man's hands that strangled his throat. Now the man's fierce expression fell for a second, as if he finally recognized the authentic confusion in Ichigo's voice. With a resigned groan he released Ichigo and shook his hand, rubbing his wrist.

"Fucking hell, I knew something's wrong with you" he muttered under his breath, starting to pace around in circles. Ichigo rubbed his chest, smoothing down his robes. The strange mirror image was tearing out his hair, cursing and mumbling the whole time in his screeching voice. Ichigo cocked an eyebrow, maybe Yoruichi had hit him harder in the head during practice than he thought.

"Hey, listen now" he started, making the man whip around to look at him, "I have no idea who you are, what the hell you're talking about or why you're here so might want explain yourself?" At first Ichigo was sure the man would hit him but then his shoulders sagged and he sighed deeply.

"Fine, guess there's nothing else I can do right now" he grumbled, falling down on the ground and crossing his legs, like Ichigo had done before. The young man felt a shiver run down his spine at the familiarity of the stranger's movements and crouched down to the ground. The man looked like a stubborn child having a tantrum, his lips were pursed and a deep scowl shadowed his features. _Too familiar,_Ichigo noted and shook his head to concentrate.

"So, first, who the hell are you and why should I know you?" The stranger huffed out a breath and gave him a pitying look.

"Of all the stupid questions you could ask you choose that? Jesus, haven't you even looked into a mirror?" The man was now seriously trying Ichigo's patience.

"Fine, then what are you doing here, in the middle of the night? You could get killed if the guards saw you." The stranger laughed again, the voice grating Ichigo's ears.

"As if!" he jeered, "Those idiots couldn't touch me even if they tried. So don't worry, Ichi, I'm untouchable." Ichigo frowned at the nickname only his little sisters used, though even they had given it up as they had grown older.

"Are you actually going to tell me anything or are just you going to taunt me, 'cause if you are, I might as well leave now. I haven't the time for this." The stranger's eyes flashed as Ichigo made an attempt to get up.

"You think I do? Fuck Ichi, do you have any idea where you are? Playtime's over now, we're at war! Haven't you realized that already? Now sit the fuck down, I'll tell you the score." Ichigo exhaled deeply as he stayed put, folding his legs under him to sit more comfortably. The man pressed his fingers together and frowned deeply, as if trying to make sense of his own thoughts. Finally his eyes darted back to Ichigo and he began to speak.

"As it seems you have no fucking clue on who I am, you might be bit shocked at what I tell you. So don't interrupt me or I'll get real fucking mad. Understood?" The young man nodded, trying to brace himself for whatever he was in for. The man leaned his arms back, craning his neck back to look up at the sky. His eyes narrowed and he suddenly seemed alert, his body tensing up and only his eyes moved slowly as if following something move in the sky. Then he all of a sudden moved so rapidly Ichigo didn't even almost see it before the man had grabbed his arm and was pulling him towards the nearest dune, running in a crouched position like they had been taught to avoid getting shot in the battle field.

Merely a second later the stranger had thrown Ichigo back to the ground about forty feet away where they had been sitting, an explosion shook the ground and sent sand flying all around. Ichigo tried to curl into a ball, wrapping his arms around his head as he felt the pressure wave hit him with searing hot power that Ichigo feared would melt his clothes to his skin. He tried to crawl closer to the dune and take cover behind it when he again heard the ominous whistling sound coming down towards them with great speed. He screwed his eyes shut, suddenly he wanted nothing more than to be back home with his family, somewhere far away from all this. He felt a strong hand grab his neck and pull him to his feet, shaking him like a rag doll. He saw the stranger glare at him with those weird eyes and then a hand connected sharply with his face.

"Snap out of it!" the man bellowed at him just before another explosion drowned every other sound. Ichigo blinked few times before his mind started to work again, the man's vice-like grip somehow pulled him back to the surface from the dark, scary place he'd been back to reality. He suddenly remembered everything Yoruichi had taught them, how to act in a sudden crisis or when under an attack. He nodded somewhat gratefully to the man who slowly let go of him, he didn't seem troubled at all by the fact that they were currently under attack.

"Fuck shit fuck fuck shit" the stranger grunted as he crouched down to cover from a pressure wave caused by another explosion. The whole camp was now in alert, people were shouting orders and running around, trying to find the source of the attack.

"Let's go!" the stranger yelled at Ichigo and dashed into the camp, running past the tents with incredible speed. Ichigo stumbled after him, his legs still bit shaky from the shock. He tried to keep his eyes on the man's back as he ran in front of him, slipping past other soldiers who were assembling to their posts, ready to take orders. He could see a bomb had landed quite near the tent he had been sleeping in and his insides twisted themselves into a knot. He quickly ran towards the tent, fear engulfing his senses. He scrambled towards the tent and could see people lying on the ground, some already being treated for their wounds and some bodies covered with the canvas from the tent itself. He was already running towards a covered body when a strong arm grabbed his.

"Ichigo, we're alright." Ichigo turned around to see Chad's giant form standing beside him, his demeanor as solemn as always. Ichigo exhaled deeply and took Chad's hand into his.

"Good to hear that."

"Hey you two, stop dawdling!" The pale stranger suddenly appeared next to them, holding a curved sword in his right hand. Ichigo frowned at the sight, soldiers rarely used scimitars anymore, in close combat they used knifes or bayonets. He didn't have time to dwell on that detail for long as he heard Yoruichi's familiar voice shouting commands over the racket.

"Move the wounded to safety, quickly! Where is that flak?" Yoruichi ran through the debris towards her men, feeling her heart sink as she saw the remains of the tent. She sighed of slight relief as she recognized the distinctive colour of Ichigo's hair and Chad's giant form still standing beside the tent. She started to make her way to them when she noticed the third man standing next to them. His unusual robes and unique sword make him stood out like a sore thumb among all the soldiers. Yoruichi scoffed mentally as she arrived at the scene, Ichigo and Chad quickly saluting her.

"At ease men, there's no time for formalities right now, what's the situation here? Chad?"

"Most of us made it out before the bomb struck, but it took out few men" the large soldier said, his voice calm as ever despite the chaos around them. Yoruichi nodded, glancing at the covered bodies on the ground.

"Glad you made it. Now, go help the wounded, we need to get them to safety." Ichigo and Chad nodded and quickly ran to the closest wounded, carefully picking up them from the ground. Yoruichi turned her attention to the pale man still standing beside her, his nearly spectral hair flowing around his face.

"Surprised to see you here, Shirosaki." The man chuckled and raised his sword to his shoulder.

"Long time no see, general."

"Was your mission successful?"

"I don't think this is the right time to talk about that, do you?" Normally Yoruichi would've chastised the young man for disrespectful behavior but he was right, this wasn't the time or the place, even if his information might prove to be vital.

"Fine, we'll talk once this mess is dealt with. You know what to do." Shirosaki grinned at her and did a mock salute at her.

"Aye aye, sir" he jeered before he turned around and disappeared among the throng of soldiers running around the campsite. Yoruichi stared after the young man few seconds still before putting her war face on again and returning to solving this huge mess.

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><p>Half a mile away two men were standing on top of a sand dune, gazing towards the campsite that was now lit by dozens of fires and heavy smoke was reaching to the night sky. One of the men was of slim-built, his robes hanging loosely around his body. The other man was almost monstrously large, he was well over two meters tall and weighed over six hundred pounds, all of that pure muscle. He was laughing darkly at the sight before them, glancing at his smaller companion.<p>

"Those pests sure can run fast, eh Ulquiorra?" The other man didn't seem nearly as amused as his companion, he was merely staring at the campsite with a vacant expression.

"I don't know why Aizen didn't order to do this sooner" the man continued, folding his huge arms across his wide chest, "would've saved us a lot of trouble."

"It's not honourable", the smaller man said still staring straight into the distance, "man should be able to look at his opponent straight in the eye before killing him." The larger man burst into laughter, throwing his head back. The sound of his laugh rumbled deep in his chest and echoed along the desert.

"Those pests don't deserve fighting us face to face, they should just be exterminated like the vermin they are" he snarled and spat on the ground, "captain Aizen shouldn't waste his time on them anyway, we should be advancing to Seireitei instead of this dump."

"We cannot leave any pockets of resistance behind, otherwise they will stab us in the back" the smaller man replied, "we cannot afford to fight a war on two fronts."

"This is not war, this is just kids' play!" his companion argued, now stomping the ground angrily, "I don't even understand why we have to supervise this, it's pretty clear they won't survive this."

"Don't underestimate the unknown enemy Yammy" Ulquiorra snapped, now looking at the bigger man from the corner of his eye, "you won't live to regret it." Yammy snorted but just then they heard the ominous whistling sound quickly coming towards them. Ulquiorra was quick to act.

"Everybody, take cover!" he ordered to their troops situated at the bottom of the dune. The men quickly scampered up from their trenches and started running to safety when the bomb landed right where they had been standing. Ulquiorra and Yammy had jumped behind the dune, lying flat against its side. The explosion sent whirlwinds of sand fly around them, obstructing their view.

"Those bastards!" Yammy bellowed over the noise of the explosion. Ulquiorra got up and climbed back to the dune's top, pulling out his telescope from inside his robes. Yammy crawled beside him, almost growling in annoyance.

"What do you see Ulquiorra? Are those rats still aiming at us?" The smaller man didn't answer, just folded his telescope back into his pocket and turned around, starting to walk down the dune's side.

"Our mission here is over, gather the men and let's return to the base." Yammy stared blankly after the man before running down the dune to catch up with him.

"What, we're just gonna leave now? We could have them, right now, then this all would be done with!"

"Don't question my orders Yammy" Ulquiorra said coldly, not turning to look at the man, "you will have your chance to prove your worth to captain Aizen." The man seemed furious and reached his arm to grab Ulquiorra's shoulder, but the smaller man was quicker and grabbed Yammy's hand, twisting it backwards and making him drop to his knees. Sweat poured from Yammy's forehead as Ulquiorra kept his arm in a vice-like grip.

"I told you Yammy, do not underestimate an unknown enemy" he said, looking at his companion straight in the eyes, the gaze of his green orbs almost hypnotic. The man tried to wrench his arm free but to no avail. Finally Ulquiorra let him go and the man almost fell on his face, leaning onto his hands and breathed heavily. Ulquiorra turned and walked away, ordering the troops to return to the base. Yammy stared after him, gasping for air as he got up to his feet. He flexed his arm, almost refusing to believe that small man had so easily brought him down. He glared at the man's back as he walked into the distance.

"I'll show you an enemy" he hissed from between his teeth, "Ulquiorra."


	3. Chapter 3

**_New chapter! Things are starting to move faster, thank gods. Enjoy, my pretties._**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3. <em>Fear flows through my blood<em>**

When Uryuu came to, he was almost sure he had died and gone to Hell. Why else would a giant pink-haired man be looming over him, poking his wounded thigh? The young soldier drew in a painful breath as the man's stubby fingers touched the laceration caused by the bomb that had blown up their tent. First he had thought he'd been fine but then suddenly his leg had collapsed under him and everything had gone black. He slowly realized he was in the medical tent and the man poking his leg was the head of the medics. When he noticed his patient was awake the man straightened himself up and hailed a nurse to Uryuu's bed. A young woman with white robes and fiery orange hair rushed to Uryuu's bed, carrying bandages in her arms.

"Orihime, could you bind this young man's leg?" the huge man instructed and the girl nodded with a determined look on her face. She peered at the bloody wound, not even flinching at the gruesome sight. The shards had already been removed so now all that was needed was to clean the wound and bind it. She gave Uryuu an encouraging smile as she poured some antiseptic into a rag in her hand.

"It's just a flesh wound, you'll be up and about in no time" she said and pressed the soaked cloth on the wound. Uryuu hit his head on the pillow and clenched his jaw so he wouldn't scream out loud, the whole wound burned as the antiseptic liquid cleaned the possible bacteria. The girl placed her other hand on Uryuu's thigh, keeping it in place.

"It's okay, it's almost done" she murmured softly as she wiped the laceration and then threw the rag away. Uryuu exhaled slowly as the girl's cool fingers bound the wound tightly, the pain was already subsiding.

"Thank you" he whispered, frowning at how weak his own voice sounded. The girl smiled at him, tying the bandage and then made sure it was tight enough.

"There, come back tomorrow and I'll change it, then you can do it yourself" she advised him as she picked up the rest of the bandages she had brought along, "I'm Orihime by the way."

"U-Uryuu, Ishida" the young man managed to utter just as the girl turned to walk away. She threw a glance at him over her shoulder and smiled again.

"See you later then, Uryuu Ishida."

"Se-see you…" Uryuu mumbled as he watched the girl walk away. He stared after her for a good while until he heard someone cat calling behind him. With a sour expression on his face he turned to look though he was pretty sure who it was. Ichigo and Chad were standing by the doorway to the tent, the carrot top was wearing an obnoxious smirk on his face and Chad was as solemn as ever. The two walked over to his bed, Ichigo crossing his arms across his chest and throwing a quick look after the nurse.

"You seem to be quite at home here Ishida" he jeered at the young man, who angrily grabbed his glasses from his bedside table and pushed them up the bridge of his nose.

"Shut it Kurosaki" he hissed and tried to move but his leg still ached too much. Chad lowered his huge hand on his shoulder, keeping him in place.

"You need to rest" he said calmly. Uryuu sighed but complied and lay back on his bed. Ichigo was looking around them in the medical tent, all around them wounded soldiers lay in their beds, some in a worse state than others. The most serious cases had makeshift curtains drawn around their beds to shelter them from curious eyes. The sound of pained moans, grunts and quiet sobbing mixed in with the soothing speech of the nurses as they tended to their patients. Ichigo could swear he even heard a woman singing in a soft voice behind the curtains of one bed at the back of the tent.

"That's where they keep the dying" Chad explained. Ichigo felt himself shiver, it was so different to see the cost of war this close than to just hear how many casualties they had had during the nightly attack. Once they had gotten their air defense going, the bombing had suddenly stopped. But that only been the first stage, the rest of the night had been spent reassembling the campsite, tending to the wounded and burying the dead. It had been a rough night for everyone and they had been given the morning off so they could rest. Ichigo had Chad had wanted to first check up on their wounded friend but it seemed he was in good hands.

"So, you're good to go tomorrow?" Ichigo asked Uryuu, tearing his eyes of the dying. The young man frowned and pushed his glasses back.

"What's happening tomorrow?"

"We were given orders to go patrol the pass in the north, they've spotted some enemy movement in there" Ichigo explained, looking bit too excited for Uryuu's liking.

"We? You mean the new recruits? Why?" Ichigo shrugged.

"Because that's our orders, and in the army you follow your orders. Simple as that."

"But it doesn't make any sense" Uryuu insisted, "we've just got here, we haven't even been formally trained or sworn in, why don't they send some more experienced soldiers?"

"We won't learn unless we actually go out in the field and do something! Can't you see, this is just what we need, maybe we could even capture some of those bastards and get some information on Aizen's plans" Ichigo retorted, looking at Chad now.

"Chad, what do you think?" The tall man was silent, seemingly deep in thought as his both friends stared at him for an answer.

"Ichigo might be right" he finally uttered, earning a victorious grin from the young man and a roll of eyes from Uryuu, "we need to follow our orders. And we were trained by Yoruichi, so she knows our abilities, maybe she thinks we're ready for this."

"Exactly!" Ichigo exclaimed and slapped Chad on the back, only managing to hurt his own hand, "Man Chad, you're like a rock." Uryuu still wasn't convinced. There was something wrong about this but he was too exhausted to think straight. Ichigo yawned too, stretching his jaw open wide.

"We should go get some rest, we still have training session this afternoon. And tomorrow we'll leave, right?" Chad nodded.

"That was the order."

"Right, catch you later then Ishida" Ichigo bid him and then quickly leaned closer to whisper in his ear, "and remember to come see that nurse again."

"Shut up" Uryuu snapped and tried to slap Ichigo but he was too quick to pull away.

"See you tomorrow!" he hollered from the door as they walked out, leaving Uryuu to rest. The young man leaned back on his pillow and closed his eyes but his mind was still troubled. Something felt odd about this new order to just leave so suddenly. Uryuu faintly remembered Yoruichi mentioning something about the northern pass, it was considered to be no-man's land and had been previously used for transporting goods and weapons from Seireitei. It was the only link between the two countries that wasn't controlled by Aizen's army and was considered a great advantage for the rebellion, after securing the pass they had been able to start negotiating with Seireitei. It was very hard to ambush any travelers there because the narrow pass didn't have any places to hide and the rocks surrounding it were too high and steep to climb. The pass had been guarded by the Seireitei army on their side of the border and by the rebels on this side, and Aizen had left it alone before because he wanted to avoid war on two frontiers at once but apparently something had changed if there were enemies in the pass.

It still didn't make much sense, Uryuu thought they would've known about an attack to the pass, maybe they were only scouters? If they had crossed the border into Seireitei they would've been killed which would've meant war between Aizen and Seireitei and that didn't make sense either. Had the rebel guards been killed? Uryuu frowned, this all made no sense. And why were they being sent to the pass, one of the most strategically important places, they were just rookies. There was something they weren't being told. It would've made sense that everyone knew about an attack on the pass and they would've sent their best people to secure it, this was all wrong. Uryuu sighed and opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling of the tent. _Guess we'll find out tomorrow, _he thought as the sounds of the wounded and dying filled his ears.

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><p>Approximately hundred miles away from the campsite, in the northern pass just before the land turned into Seireitei's ground, a group of five men was holding camp. They had lit a fire and were sitting in a circle around it, talking loudly with each other, almost to the point of arguing. A tall slim man with a long, refined face and calm demeanor would occasionally put in a word or two if the others became too agitated, he seemed to be in charge of the small group. The men were a quite varied bunch, one large, muscular man with half of his head shaven and half sporting long red mane, other a somewhat fat man with a black bob cut hair. The two other men were slightly smaller, other a quite handsome young man with long blonde hair and the last one a small, ugly man with strange square teeth that gave him a prominent lisp as he talked. Except for their leader, they seemed bit nervous, constantly glancing over their shoulders into the darkness that surrounded them just outside their small camp.<p>

"I don't like this Shawlong, Grimmjow should've been back by now" the fat man said, crossing his hands behind his back.

"Be patient, he knows what he's doing" the man answered, staring into the fire. Beside him the large man scoffed and lopped down to the ground, crossing his legs.

"I'm tired of waiting, why are we even bothering with these ants in the first place? The only ones here were those pathetic few guards, can't we just go fight some real enemies in Seireitei?"

"No, absolutely not" Shawlong snapped sternly, "you heard captain Aizen's orders, we are not to attack Seireitei no matter what. It's too early." The young blonde man sighed overdramatically and leaned his chin on his hands.

"The rebels are practically done for anyway, why do we have to even guard this stupid pass? We've been here over a week and no one has come even though we killed their patrols."

"Maybe the air attack finished them all off and the war is already over" the small man cackled beside him.

"Don't be stupid, the rebels have held their ground for ten years, one simple air attack into their base camp won't suddenly change everything." Shawlong's comment seemed to quiet everyone down for a minute or so before they started arguing again. Suddenly their bickering was stopped as a man dropped seemingly out of nowhere in the middle of their small ring. The smallest man fell back screaming, the fat man jumped in the air from the scare, the larger man and the blonde quickly placed their hands on their weapons, ready to draw them out. The only one staying calm was their leader, who just smiled faintly and raised an eyebrow at the imposing entrance.

"Welcome back, Grimmjow." The man threw back the hood of his robe, revealing his starkly blue hair and keen eyes of the same colour. His face was fixed into an arrogant smirk that revealed his oddly sharp canines. He looked at the men's reactions and barked out a sharp laugh, then suddenly reached down to grab the smallest man by the front of his robes and easily lifted him up in the air, the man's dangling above the ground.

"This is how you greet your leader?" he snarled at the man's face.

"I-I-I'm sorry Grimmjow, you...you just caught me off-guard there" the man tried to simper. Grimmjow snorted and dropped the man to the ground, glaring down at him.

"You should be on edge all the time, we're on a mission here" he spat out and turned to look at the others. All except for Shawlong quickly avoided his gaze.

"Fucking pathetic" he muttered, shaking his head and stepped out of the ring.

"Was your patrol successful, sir?" the young man dared to ask. Their leader laughed again and swirled around the face them, his white robes with black lining flowing around his tall frame.

"What do you think, Yyltford?" the man asked, flashing his teeth as he spoke, "You think I'd fail, do you?" The young man quickly tried to think of something to say.

"I, eh, no, no, of course not, sir, I just wondered because you stayed for so long" he quickly mumbled, avoiding Grimmjow's sharp eyes.

"Oh yeah? You got bored, did you? Think I was having trouble, is that it?"

"No sir, absolutely not…"

"Well shut the fuck up then" Grimmjow almost growled, causing the young man to flinch.

"Sorry sir, I didn't mean to…"

"What part of 'shut the fuck up' don't you understand?" Yyltford snapped his mouth shut and lowered his gaze to the ground. Grimmjow jeered at the man's discomfort and sat down on the ground, the men quickly making space for him.

"Of course I was successful" he finally said, crossing his legs in front of him, "piece of piss."

"So what should we be preparing ourselves for?" Shawlong asked calmly. Grimmjow threw a quick glare at the man but didn't disdain him as he had Yyltford.

"Just some fucking rookies coming up, no big deal" he shrugged, "you probably won't even need me to save your sorry asses."

"Are you leaving then and go report to captain Aizen?" Grimmjow's face split into a ferocious grin as he stared into the fire.

"No, I feel like having some fun for a change" he chuckled darkly, "slaughtering some kids will do just fine."

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><p>Ichigo was just walking back from the weaponry after having picked up his new rifle, the earlier one had been destroyed in the blast, when suddenly the strange man from before appeared by his side seemingly out of nowhere. Ichigo almost jumped from the surprise, earning a low cackle from pale man.<p>

"You're jumpy today, Ichi." The young man huffed and took a hesitant sidestep to create some distance between himself and the man.

"We were rudely interrupted last night so I thought we might carry on from where we left" the man continued, he seemed unaffected by the horrors of last night.

"I don't even know your name" Ichigo muttered, his fingers tapping the breech of his rifle that hung on his shoulder. The stranger's eyes narrowed but then he laughed again, he sounded bit too maniacal that the sound would feel comforting. Ichigo noticed that they were getting strange looks from people walking past them and realized how weird they must've looked to them, him and his monochrome copy.

"Fine, I keep forgetting how fucked up you are" the man snorted and shook his head, his ashen hair spilling from under his hood, "the name's Shirosaki, ring any bells?" Ichigo frowned at the name, it did sound vaguely familiar but he couldn't point out the reason why. He shrugged his shoulders and glanced at the man who was now looking at him with an anticipatory expression on his angular face.

"Sorry, I can't place you." Shirosaki's face twisted in disappointment and he kicked the ground angrily, sending a cloud of sand whirling around them. Ichigo drew his head back inside his hood and closed his eyes so he wouldn't get sand in his eyes. Suddenly he felt a hand jerk his hood down, revealing his slightly too long orange hair. He looked at the man beside him with a deep scowl on his face and made a gesture to shove him away but then noticed the look on his face. The man was staring at his hair with an almost longing expression in his strange reptilian eyes and before Ichigo drew away, Shirosaki ran his slim fingers through the orange strands, his touch merely a gentle brush. Then, as if only now realizing what he was doing, the man drew his hand away, hiding it inside his loose sleeve. Ichigo decided not to even ask, judging by the man's previous behavior he wouldn't answer anyway. Shirosaki was quiet for a while as they walked through the camp, now Ichigo could see people huddling together and whispering, throwing them odd glances as they passed them. He wasn't sure what to make of it, it seemed that Shirosaki was part of the rebellion as he had not been shot already so Ichigo assumed these people knew him. _What must I look like to them, a rookie who looks like a coloured version of him? _

"Shirosaki" he started but was cut off shortly.

"Call me Shiro" the man said, then paused for a while, "it's what you used to call me." Ichigo frowned, it was apparent that he was supposed to share some history with this pale stranger and it irked him that he had no idea what it was. His earliest memory was his mother's death but he had been already six so they couldn't have known for long. He couldn't recall his father ever mentioning anything of a brother, like Shirosaki had called him last night.

"Okay then, Shiro" Ichigo said and could see a stranger flash in the man's eyes. He wasn't sure if it was pain or joy and again decided not to ask. Seemingly the fact that Ichigo couldn't place him in his memory was very hurtful for him.

"So you're part of the resistance?" Shirosaki scoffed, placing his hands on the rope tied around his waist. Ichigo now noticed the scimitar that hung on his belt, it was the same he had seen the man handle last night. _How come I didn't notice it when I first saw him? _

"Sure seems like it" the man replied, "if I wasn't then your security would suck ass." Ichigo hemmed and nodded, it had been a pretty obvious question.

"Have you been here long?" Shirosaki exhaled heavily, puffing out his cheeks and seemed to count in his head.

"Since I was seven I'd guess, can't remember really. Feels like forever" the man said, pushing his hand through his long hair.

"Were you on some special mission last night?" Shirosaki threw a scowling glance at Ichigo.

"Once you get started you don't stop, do you" he groaned lowly, "but anyway, I can't tell you that. It's between me and the high-ups." The man stared away in the distance, over the tents into the desert.

"If everything goes well, you'll never need to know" he murmured, more to himself than to Ichigo, who was getting more and more confused by the minute. He decided to make a move onto more safer territory before this cryptic man went even weirder.

"Are you coming to the northern pass with us tomorrow?" This time Ichigo's words prompted a stronger reaction from the man than before. He suddenly stopped on his tracks, staring at Ichigo with wide eyes.

"Northern pass?" he repeated, as if suspecting Ichigo had been wrong.

"Yes, the pass in the north, me and the other new recruits are supposed to go there tomorrow to identify the enemy movement that has been detected there…" Ichigo explained but stopped when Shirosaki was suddenly standing only inches away, Ichigo could feel his strangely cool breath on his face.

"Ichi, if this is a joke it's a fucking bad one" he hissed at him, seemingly distraught, "so you'd better stop fucking with me."

"What are you saying, that was our order, it's not a joke" Ichigo frowned and stepped back from the man, "you could stop being so fucking weird all the time." Shirosaki opened his mouth to say something but apparently words betrayed him since nothing came out. His jaw snapped shut and Ichigo could see anger flaring in his eyes again.

"Sorry Ichi, I gotta go find someone" he just uttered and turned around, dashing somewhere between the tents and leaving Ichigo standing alone. The young man tilted his head to one side and scratched his neck. _I didn't know I'd have to deal with whack jobs on the first day, _he mused as he started walking back to their new tent where Chad was already waiting for him.

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><p>Shirosaki snarled out curses under his breath as he darted between the tents, his destination very clear in his mind. He took a sharp left, kicking sand in the air as he almost skirted around a corner, earning some weird looks from soldiers sitting in the doorway of a nearby tent. Before long Shirosaki saw the tent he was looking for and ran towards it, only to be sharply stopped by a strong grip that grabbed his forearm. The grip made him spun around and face his captor, his eyes narrowed as he saw the man's familiar face. That grin was even creepier than his, Shirosaki was sure it would someday haunt him in his nightmares.<p>

"What's the hurry, sunshine?" Shinji Hirako asked him, looking way too amused for his own good. Shirosaki glared at the blonde general, the man gave him the creeps and it said something.

"None of your business" he grumbled and tried to wrench his arm free but Shinji's grasp was too strong, his fingers only squeezed harder the more he pulled.

"Oh but I think it is" the general said, smiling at him in a way that showed way too much of his teeth, "I'll ask again, where are you going?"

"You asked 'what's the hurry' the first time" Shirosaki jeered but his smirk waned as Shinji twisted his arm painfully, "fine fine, let go and I'll tell you." Shinji uttered a mirthless laugh.

"You really think I'd be that stupid?" he asked, leaning closer to Shirosaki's face, "I wasn't born yesterday Shiro. I've been screwing guys over when you were still cuddled up in your dad's balls, so better stop playing around if you wanna keep your arm." Shirosaki groaned in pain and winced slightly as the man's grip turned even tighter.

"Fine, fine, fine, stop it, just stop" he rambled until Shinji slightly eased on his arm, "I heard Ichi is sent to the northern pass and I wanna talk to Urahara about it, now let go of my fucking arm!" Shinji loosened his grip enough for Shiro to pull his arm away, cradling it to his chest and glaring daggers at the man.

"Holy fuck man, anger issues much" the young man mumbled as he rubbed his assaulted arm.

"So your precious little brother is being sent to the dogs of war, huh" Shinji said, leaning against a tent pole, "an interesting development."

"It's not fucking interesting, it's a fucking murder, you idiot" Shirosaki grunted, trying to flex his arm so that Shinji wouldn't notice, "I was there, I know they'll be slaughtered like some fucking armless children, the fuck is Urahara doing?" Shinji shrugged, looking unaffected by the knowledge that their leader was sending young men to their deaths.

"We're at war, little Shiro, you should know by now that there will be casualties, they all know what they signed up for." Shiro's eyes almost bulged out as he tried to control his rage and not slice the man in two with his scimitar.

"Are you fucking serious?" he snarled, "I gave you my report, those guys are fucking monsters, they'll all be killed, it's just wasting their lives for fucking nothing."

"We need to assess their strengths, if they really are as strong as the reports say then we don't have enough man power to spare to kill them all, we are needed at the frontier. If we're lucky, those young men will cause them enough damage to buy us some more time and we can deal with them later." Shirosaki stared mutely at Shinji, still trying to process what he had said.

"So they're just cannon fodder to you, eh" he finally screeched, his voice sounding like it was tearing his lungs, it was more raspier than usually and Shinji cocked an eyebrow at the man young man.

"You've seen it before Shiro, and you yourself have killed boys just like them without mercy, you seem to forget we're still at war here. And your so-called brother is no exception." At this point Shirosaki didn't care of the general was above him in rank or the fact that he could probably kill him bare-handed, his hand already went to his scimitar, grabbing the hilt so hard his knuckles turned white.

"Say that again and I'll have your head" he growled, already drawing the weapon out of its scabbard, making Shinji take a step back and place his hand on his own sword, "I dare you." Just as the situation was about to escalate beyond redemption, the men were interrupted by a female voice calling out for them.

"General Hirako, sergeant Shirosaki, what are you doing?" Both men quickly snapped their head towards the sound and saw Yoruichi standing just twenty feet away, just exiting her own personal tent. She was glaring at them, obviously realizing the situation but just quickly looked around to see if anyone else was watching and then quickly walked to them, grabbing Shiro's arm like Shinji had before.

"General Hirako, the new recruits are in the field waiting to be trained, would you mind filling in for me for a few minutes?" Yoruichi said to the blond man, despite her seeming politeness her tone gave away that it was not a request. Shinji's hand fell from the hilt of his sword and he just nodded, quickly walking away from the scene. Even he didn't dare to incur Yoruichi's wrath any further. After Shinji had gone, Yoruichi turned to look at Shiro, the young man was still breathing heavily and his eyes were still flaring. He glared at the smaller woman and opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by Yoruichi's hand that slapped him hard across his face. Shiro stared at her with wide eyes, his free hand rising to rub his cheek which had gone red from the impact.

"Calm yourself down you idiot" she murmured at him in a low tone, "you want to give them more excuses to throw your ass out of here?" Shirosaki seemed to calm down a bit and Yoruichi let his arm go, taking a step back.

"Now, what the hell was that just now?" The young man cast his eyes down, folding his arms across his chest.

"Shirosaki" Yoruichi warned him.

"You're sending them to their deaths" Shiro snapped, his eyes boring into Yoruichi, "you feeling proud of yourself?" Yoruichi's jaw tightened, she knew what the young man was talking about.

"It's not my decision Shirosaki, Kis…Urahara gave the command, I tried to talk sense to him."

"Well it seems you did a shitty job at it." The woman wanted to protest but couldn't really argue, she had started to feel that she had given in too easily. The logic that just because they were at war and casualties were unavoidable wasn't a reason enough to send still innocent young boys to deaths before they had even been sworn in. It was mindless slaughter, not war. A war would incline there was an equal chance on both sides to survive.

"I know" she finally sighed, pressing her hand against her forehead, "they're leaving tomorrow, they have no idea what's in store for them."

"Unless you tell them." Yoruichi shook her head, sighing deeply.

"Don't be ridiculous, if I told them what they will be faced with they'd be even more useless than they are now."

"Well then I'll go with them." Now Yoruichi raised her eyes to Shirosaki, the young man looked at her with determination she hadn't seen in a long time.

"You're serious?" Shirosaki scoffed, throwing his head back a little in a jaded gesture.

"I don't usually make jokes when my brother is about to be sent to his death" he sneered but Yoruichi could hear actual desperation behind the mocking tone. She nodded slowly, earning a somewhat surprised look from the young man.

"Fine, then I'll come with you. If we can't stop this, we can at least give them hell while we're at it." Now Shirosaki's face spread into an almost feral smirk, his eyes narrowing into thin slits and a screeching cackle resonating in his chest.

"That's an order I can follow."

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><p><em>Review, please? You have really pretty eyes, did you know that? Now please review, you gorgeous creature you...<em>


	4. Chapter 4

_**Listening to the soundtrack of "Batman: Arkham City" while writing this chapter. The Raveonettes, Serj Tankian, Panic! At The Disco (among others), all writing songs inspired by the awesomeness that is Batman. What more could you want? The title of the chapter is taken from one of the songs, I always need some music playing in the background while I write. Sometimes I even need to find the right music before I can write a new scene/chapter. And of course every character has their own theme music and bands that I always listen to while writing the story from their POV. **_

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><p><strong>Chapter 4. <strong>_**Nowhere to hide**_

The next morning the new recruits had been assembled in the training grounds. Uryuu had just come back from the medical tent, his bandages being changed by the young nurse. Ichigo noticed his slightly reddened face and nudged him on his side with a snide look on his face, only to be coldly ignored by the young man. Chad threw a stern look at them and nodded towards Yoruichi who was standing before the troops, ready to give them their orders.

"Right men, I believe you all heard general Urahara's orders yesterday so I'll just shortly remind you. We are to leave for the northern pass to investigate the possible hostile activities that have been observed there. The pass is very important link between the resistance force and the Seireitei since it's the only way over the border Aizen doesn't control. We need to secure it as quickly as possible and ensure our continuing commerce with Seireitei. Understood?"

"Sir yes sir!"

"Good" Yoruichi smiled faintly and her eyes darted to the edge of the group where Shirosaki was standing, his face hidden the hood of his robes, "myself and sergeant Shirosaki will accompany you on this possibly highly dangerous mission, he has just come back from a mission in the pass and holds vital information on the circumstances you will face. Listen to whatever he has to say and follow his orders as if they were mine. Understood?"

"Sir yes sir!" Ichigo frowned as Shirosaki lurked nearby, his whole body and face wrapped in his dark blue robes that made him stand out from the crowd of sand yellow and dirty green army robes. Some of Ichigo's fellow soldiers looked at their new companion with interest but he just stood there with his arms folded across his chest, his scimitar was out of sight this time. Only one strand of his ashen hair was visible from under his hood.

"Right men, let's get going, we make the first half of the journey in the jeeps but then we have to continue on foot, the land is too treacherous near the pass." The recruits were distributed into the jeeps, there were only total of thirty young men leaving for the pass. Ichigo, Chad and Uryuu were sent to the jeep that would be the last in the line, Yoruichi herself chose the jeep that would lead the way. Ichigo and his friends climbed into the back of the jeep and just as they were pulling down the canvas Shirosaki leaped inside, again moving almost too fast for a normal human being. He managed to scare the young soldier who had been pulling down the canvas and had to grab his arm to keep him from falling out of the jeep.

"Be cool" Shirosaki grunted to the young man, his voice muffled by his scarf that was covering his face. The recruit was still bit too shaken to answer and just nodded, Shirosaki secured the fabric himself and walked to the other end of the jeep, banging his fist against the backboard few times to signal the driver they were ready to go. The jeep's engine growled into live and soon they were off, making their way across the desert in the jerky ride of the jeep. Shirosaki sat down in the front of the jeep's back, right next to Ichigo. The young man threw a curious look at his pale copy whose face was hidden under his hood. After a short time Ichigo noticed how the man's breathing had turned steady and slow, he was fast asleep. Ichigo almost smiled to himself, only someone who had been serving in the resistance for over half his life would be able to sleep in the bumpy back of the jeep where every slight movement made the whole car heave from side to side. Shirosaki managed to keep his balance even asleep, he merely swayed gently from side to side as the jeep moved along the ragged roads.

"So how did you know this guy?" Uryuu asked Ichigo, he also had been observing the sleeping stranger.

"It's he who knows me" Ichigo replied in a hushed tone, instinctively trying not to disturb the sleeping man, though if the racket of the jeep wasn't keeping him awake probably nothing would wake him up either.

"Well then how does he know you?" Ichigo shrugged, leaning back on his seat and stretching his legs in front of him, his lower body sliding away from the bench.

"I haven't really gotten that far. He called me his 'brother' at one point though." Uryuu hummed and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"I thought you only had two sisters" he noted.

"So did I." The raven-haired young soldier arched an eyebrow at Ichigo's seeming calmness. The sudden appearance of a long lost sibling would've thought to have provoked a more emotional reaction.

"You're taking this all rather calmly" he said out loud. Ichigo shrugged his shoulders again.

"I can't really do anything about it, can I?"

"You could've asked your father."

"He wouldn't have gotten my telegram before we left. Plus I'm trusting that he will tell me himself" the young man said nodding towards Shirosaki.

"So you trust him? A man who appeared from nowhere and calls you his brother?" Uryuu frowned and dropped his tone of voice little lower, "Seems all bit too convenient for my taste." Ichigo uttered a laugh but threw an odd glance at his friend.

"Convenient? Convenient how?"

"Isn't it bit weird that this mysterious brother of yours just happens to serve in the resistance force and has been on a mission to the very same place we're being sent to? And he comes back just in time to meet you alone and seconds later the whole camp is being attacked. Something doesn't add up here." Ichigo looked at Uryuu incredulously and then just huffed out a breath, shaking his head.

"You're being paranoid." Uryuu's brow twitched and he was about to go off in another rant to Ichigo when Chad lowered his huge hand calmly on Uryuu's shoulder.

"Not the time and the place" Chad said quietly and Uryuu sighed, nodding in agreement. They were too many people around and the atmosphere was tense enough without everyone hearing about his suspicions about their newest companion.

Under his hood Shirosaki's eyes were wide open. _That kid's too smart for his own good. I gotta think of something to distract him. _Shiro closed his eyes but kept his ears open, he would have to teach Ichi how to fake sleeping too. It was a most useful skill.

About two hours later the jeep slowly halted. Before anyone had the chance to move Shirosaki bolted up from his seat and strutted to the back of the jeep, tore down the canvas and jumped out. The other recruits followed suit after they had recovered from their small fright. They were now in the middle of nowhere it seemed, all they could see were sand dunes and the small road that disappeared behind them. Yoruichi was gathering them up and ensuring everyone had their equipment with them before continuing. The soldiers arranged themselves into pairs and lined up in a queue. Yoruichi hailed Shirosaki to her side and gave him his personal orders, after which the man took his leave and seemed to disappear somewhere between the dunes.

"Alright boys, let's get going! Don't lag behind!" Chad walked beside Uryuu, making sure he could move with his wounded leg. Ichigo slowly lagged behind until he was at the end of the queue, he had a weird feeling something wasn't quite right and they shouldn't leave their backs open. He hadn't walked alone for more than few minutes when he heard the rustling of sand from his back left and saw the already familiar dark blue appear into his line of sight. Shirosaki set his steps into the same rhythm as Ichigo, but his movements looked somehow weird, it was as he almost hovered just above the ground. With his pale skin and loose robes he looked like a specter or a nightmarish mirage.

"Enjoyed the ride?" Shirosaki asked and Ichigo could hear the smirk in his voice.

"Not particularly" he replied and flexed the muscles on his legs as he marched on, "my ass hurts." Shirosaki let out a lilting, distorted laugh, his eyes screwing shut and shoulders jumping up and down. Ichigo smiled faintly himself, seemed that the man hadn't lost his sense of humour despite living in the barracks since he was just a little kid. And it was refreshing to hear laughter, even his.

"You get used to get Ichi, don't worry" Shiro chuckled, pulling aside the scarf that hid his face and nudged his hood back to his neck. Again Ichigo felt slightly disturbed while looking at the man, it still felt weird to see his own so familiar features on another man's face. It was made even weirder by the fact that despite looking almost identical at first sight, the longer Ichigo looked at Shiro, the more slight differences he noticed. The angle of his jaw, his slightly narrower eyes, sharper nose, and of course the obvious difference in the colour of his skin and hair. It was like he had lived in a cave sheltered from sunlight his whole life instead in the desert under the merciless beating sun.

"Feeling excited?" Shiro asked, still managing to amaze Ichigo with his piercing reptilian eyes.

"About what?"

"Getting in some action." Ichigo snorted and corrected the position of his rifle on his shoulder by pulling on the strap.

"Can't really say yet", he replied "I think I got more than I bargained for already on that night before." Ichigo shivered as the image of the dead bodies flashed in his head and he could swear he still heard the cries of the injured in his head.

"Yeah, that was some weird shit" Shiro muttered, twirling a strand of his hair around his pale fingers, "Aizen hasn't been that bold since the war began."

"Why start now? Is something going to happen?" The pale man was staring at his feet, seemingly uncaring of Ichigo's inquiries.

"Shiro?" Now the man's head snapped back up and his eyes locked with Ichigo's. The young man could swear there was a genuine smile playing on his lips.

"Sorry Ichi, couldn't tell you even if I knew" he answered. Ichigo scowled at him, only earning another screeching laughter from his monochrome brother.

"Then can you tell me something about our past?" Shiro's laughter stopped abruptly and his eyes were cast down again. He ran his hands through his long hair, spilling it across his shoulders and down his back.

"I don't think this is the time and place but…" Shiro looked at the couple of soldiers walking few meters ahead of them, "I guess there'll never be a suitable time for it here." Ichigo could feel his face heating up and his heart rate quicken as he anxiously waited to finally hear what history he shared with this stranger.

"What's your earliest memory Ichi" Shirosaki asked, throwing occasional glances at the young man.

"I guess when my mother died, I was about six back then." The pale man nodded slowly, his hands hidden inside his loose sleeves.

"Thought so…How much do you remember of it?" Ichigo was quiet, his expression darkened. He had thought the ache of sorrow would've dulled down by now, after fifteen years but thinking back about it still made his whole soul waver.

"I…Just mom, lying there outside our house, the soldiers standing next to her…I-I couldn't hear anything, the gunshots had deafened me, but I remember I screamed at them, I've never screamed so hard…Then one of them stepped closer and put his gun to my head." Ichigo's hand raised to touch his forehead, the memory was still so vivid he could swear he felt the still hot steel press against his skin. The same soldier had used the same gun to murder his mother.

"You remember anyone else being there with you?" Shiro asked, his voice was softer than usually, it wasn't as raspy as before. Ichigo glanced at him and strained his memory though the memory had always been the same. The soldiers breaking into their house in the middle of the day, trying to capture him but his mother had protected him, only to be killed herself.

"No, my dad was at work, and my sisters were still so little, they were in the nursery, sleeping…My mum tried to protect us all but they just…" Ichigo's voice broke and he had to clear his throat to continue. He frowned slightly as he reminisces further.

"But I've never figured out why they didn't take us, I thought that had been the reason for it all…I guess they didn't mean to go that far." Ichigo turned to look at Shirosaki who was staring at him intently.

"I'm sorry but what does this have to do with our past?" The man huffed and smiled mirthlessly, just the other side of his mouth curling slightly up.

"They did take one child with them" he said quietly, "they took me." Ichigo stopped on his tracks, no longer paying attention to the march. Shirosaki looked at him from under his ashen hair that hung over his eyes, his expression was strange mix of sadness and loneliness.

"So…you're my…" Shiro cut him off again.

"Brother, you could say yeah. But not in the biological sense of the word. Well, traditionally biological anyway." Ichigo's face contorted in confusion.

"What does that mean?" Shirosaki exhaled, tilting his head to one side and scratching his exposed neck.

"How much do you know about your father's past?"

"Nothing much really, he's always been just a goof, working in his own shop with mom…I thought he inherited it from his parents." Shirosaki laughed again, looking actually amused this time.

"A goof, you say…Well, he's that too. But before he became that, he worked for the Seireitei, in a secret project. Guess he never mentioned that?"

"N-No, never" Ichigo mumbled, trying to wrap his head around the fact that apparently his own father had been a scientist. An image of his father doing his usual antics came to his mind. _No way, there's just…No way. _

"Well, it was top secret and he wasn't supposed to talk about it anyway…He kinda broke the rules, all of them." Shirosaki glanced at the line of soldiers that was slowly getting further and further away from them.

"We better catch up, or Yoruichi will have our asses" he nudged Ichigo and sprinted into a light jog.

"Bu- Hey!" Ichigo stumbled after Shirosaki, all the new revelations had left him hanging by a thread.

"You can't just start explaining and then stop" he argued as he caught up with the pale man who trotted forward with ease even in the treacherously unstable sand.

"Sorry Ichi, we have to remember why we're here" Shiro said, his eyes darting to the dunes surrounding them, "our past can wait, there's lot more going on right now you should know about."

"Like what?"

"Like that this mission is a suicide." Ichigo's eyes widened as Shiro threw a detached look at him.

"Wha- suicide?"

"That's what I said."

"Bu- but how, why?"

"As the generals put it, we're at war Ichi. And you're just pawns in their big fucking chess game. Collateral damage, easily replaceable." Ichigo let out an incredulous laugh, shaking his head like he had before hearing Uryuu's suspicions.

"You can't be serious."

"I was there myself Ichi, those guys you're about to face are fucking monsters. That's why Yoruichi and I came here, you'd be as good as dead without us." Shirosaki stopped talking as they reached the line and slowed down to a normal marching pace. Ichigo kept staring at the back of his head, trying to assess all the new information. _So apparently my dad is a scientist, Shiro's my brother, in one way or another, and we've walking to our deaths. This army thing hasn't really started out well for me._

* * *

><p>Hundreds of miles away, in Seireitei's grounds, a lone traveler had finally arrived to the gates of the capital city. The guards recognized the man from afar and let him through without hesitation, earning a gracious nod from the traveler. He made his way on horseback, rather unorthodox way of traveling these days. It was true that though most people preferred jeeps, they weren't the most efficient way to travel through the barren deserts, especially if the route took you through the roughest parts of the land. Camels came into the picture at that point, but horses were bit faster and if the terrain wasn't especially challenging, they did the job just fine.<p>

Shunsui urged his steed into a steady trot as he made his way through the narrow streets of the capital city towards the palace, his thoughts still lingered in the resistance force's campsite though he had left it behind two days ago. He could already imagine the response he would get once he expressed his pleads for the rebels but he had to try. Though he had said that all of the other generals were on the rebels' side the truth was bit trickier. Most saw the rebels either as traitors who were just getting what they deserved or as a handy diversion that gave the Seireitei enough time to assess Aizen's power and prepare for his possible attack. Shunsui had promised they would help the resistance force but if he did so, he'd have to sacrifice his own position. His and Jyushiro's, that is.

Shunsui made it to the gates of the palace and slowed down, letting his mount catch her breath for the last few hundred feet. Once he was in the courtyard he leaped down and gave the reins to a readily stable boy who ran towards him. The droopy-eyed man took the reins though he seemed to be awfully scared of the animal itself.

"Let her rest, she's had a long day" Shunsui said to the boy as he walked towards the palace's entrance.

"Ri-right you are, sir!" the boy managed to utter, making Shunsui turn around with a questionable look on his face.

"Have they changed the salutes while I've been gone?" he asked, arching an eyebrow to the stable boy. The boy almost dropped the reins from his hands and tried to mumble a response.

"I-I'm just new here, sir." Shunsui's face melted into a gentle smile and he waved his hand to the young man.

"Well for the future it's usually just 'sir yes sir'."

"Yes, sir" the stable boy uttered nervously, his hands clearly shaking.

"That's more like it" Shunsui grinned and continued his walk towards the palace. Its ivory towers rose towards the skies, creating ominous shadows across the courtyard. Shunsui had lived inside the palace's grounds since he was a young boy but it still managed to impress him. You didn't see handiwork like that anymore.

"Kyoraku! Kyoraku, over here!" A familiar voice called out for Shunsui and his eyes sought out for the source of the sound. Finally he saw a man with long white hair descending down the stairs of the palace, his steps quick but reserved, as if he was trying to walk more calmly than he actually felt. Shunsui walked to meet him and they exchanged a quick embrace before talking.

"I'm glad you've returned" Jyushiro said with a big smile gracing his gentle features. Shunsui smiled back, pushing down the hood of his robes and letting his long curly hair cascade down his back and shoulders.

"How was your trip?" the white-haired man asked as they began walking towards the palace's entrance.

"Like you would expect, lots of tension going on back there" Shunsui said, speaking in a low tone so possible others couldn't hear, "I'm worried Ukitake, I saw lot explosions hit the campsite right after I left." Jyushiro frowned, besides the old captain general and general Unohana he was the only one who had actually served alongside with the generals of the resistance force years back, not counting Shunsui of course. The new generals and lieutenants didn't share the same history with them as they did and hence their sympathies on the matter were pretty slim. Even Jyushiro, who was the most respected of all the generals, had had hard time trying to evoke any kind of alliance for the rebels and the situation didn't look too good.

"It's not much better here, I've tried to sense into them but it seems hopeless at the moment, they'd need to see it for themselves. Hitsugaya is the only one who might be persuaded onto our side."

"What about Komamura, Hisagi and Kira?"

"I thought they would be more than up for it but they still seem to harbor some hope for redemption, so getting them to openly admit that their old commanders and friends have actually betrayed them…We need more evidence."

"Just go out there, that should be enough evidence for anyone" Shunsui sighed, "most of them are just kids Ukitake, they have no business in the battlefield. Aizen has hundreds of trained killers in his troops, it's a wonder they've made it this far."

"That's why we need to intervene before it's too late" Jyushiro said, "Urahara might be a genius when it comes to strategies but even he can't perform miracles, at least not for long." Jyushiro stopped as they waited for the big doors of the palace's main entrance to open up.

"We might need to take this into our own hands Kyoraku" the man said quietly. Shunsui kept his expression solemn though the man's words almost made him bolt.

"You sure about that?" Jyushiro almost smiled.

"Seems we have no choice anymore."

"Guess you're right" Shunsui noted as the doors were opened and they stepped inside into a huge corridor decorated with large ivory pillars and intricate carvings on the walls. The two men marched down the hallway, heading towards the main assembly hall.

"So everyone's gonna be there?" Shunsui asked his friend as they passed by the several guards assembled along the corridors.

"Genryuusai has called for all the generals to be present so I'd guess so" Jyushiro replied, "unless they have a very good excuse."

"I doubt anyone could come up with a good enough excuse for Yama-jii."

"That might be true." The men had come to the doors that opened to the main assembly hall. Jyushiro glanced at Shunsui and placed his hand on the man's shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly.

"No pressure." Shunsui uttered a small laugh and looked at his oldest friend.

"No pressure."

The doors were opened and Jyushiro and Shunsui stepped inside. They were greeted by the sight of the eight remaining generals of Seireitei standing around a large round table, the old general Yamamoto Genryuusai was just pointing at something on a large map spread on the table, almost covering its whole surface. Everyone's eyes snapped up as the doors clanged, staring at the two oldest captains. Jyushiro smiled amiably at them and walked to his usual spot by the table, Shunsui following suit.

"Glad to see you join us, general Ukitake, general Kyoraku" the old general noted with an air of condemnation.

"Sorry we're late Yama-jii" Shunsui greeted him with a wide smile as he casually leaned his hand on the table, almost covering a fifth of Seireitei on the map, "horse trouble."

"Is that so" a small lithe woman asked him, shooting an angry glare at Shunsui from the other side of the table. The man just winked at her, earning an even harsher glare in return.

"It seems that my trusty steed isn't quite used to the sound of explosions" the general continued casually, smirking to himself as he heard some quiet gasps from around the table.

"What do you mean Kyoraku" a young man with stark white hair queried.

"General Kyoraku means that almost right after he had left the rebel campsite it was viciously attacked by Aizen's air force" Jyushiro put in, "he's getting desperate."

"It is more surprising that he has not already used that tactic, I would think it would make short job of the rebels" a tall man with long black hair and a stoic expression noted. Shunsui threw a dubious look at Byakuya Kuchiki, sometimes he was sure that the man had a stone for a heart.

"If Aizen is ready to use his air forces against the resistance force, he's not that far from attacking the Seireitei itself" Jyushiro said.

"You're talking about long- distance missiles here, not actual air force?" a young general with strikingly white hair asked, his turquoise eyes scanning Shunsui's face. The older general looked back at the youngest general, Toushiro Hitsugaya was some kind of a wonder child in the army, rising to the rank of general in the tender age of nineteen.

"I thought that was self- explanatory, my apologies general Hitsugaya" Shunsui said, flashing an apologetic smile to the young man.

"In any case, their technology is getting more and more advanced. The attack was estimated to have come from over half a mile away, that almost double from what before" Jyushiro put in. Genryuusai grumbled something, staring down at the map which showed the location of the rebel campsite and the estimated locations of Aizen's main forces.

"One more thing I noticed during my trip" Shunsui suddenly remembered, "there were no guards in the northern pass on their side of the border." This caused a small stir among the generals.

"No guards? I thought they fought long and hard for that pass, you'd think they'd guard it accordingly" Hitsugaya mused.

"You didn't see any guards in the pass? No Aizen's troops either?" general Komamura asked, he was a monstrously large man with the head of a fox, a strange hybrid among the generals. He had been close friends with Aizen's current right hand, Kaname Tousen.

"Nothing until I reached Seireitei's grounds. They fought for that pass for ages, I find it very strange they would just leave it unguarded."

"Did you see any signs of struggle?" general Unohana asked, a kind looking woman with long black haired tied and large blue eyes.

"Nothing, it was all quiet. That's the strangest thing about it, even if Aizen had taken the pass back I'd think his troops would be guarding it quite heavily."

"That is worrying" Jyushiro said, trying to evoke similar reactions from the other generals but most of them were stone faced. Kenpachi Zaraki, a fierce looking tall man whose body and faced were embellished with various battle scars snorted and shifted his weight from one foot to another.

"Why can't we just go there and start fighting, all this talking and being neutral- shit is doing my head in" the man grunted, his hand lowering to the hilt of his sword. Kuchiki threw a condescending glance at the brutal man.

"Of course an animal like you would want to take part in this mindless bloodshed" he noted dryly, earning only a low chuckle from the general.

"Call me whatever you want pretty boy, at least I'm ready to actually do something instead of just waiting until they turn on us."

"I'm with general Zaraki" Jyushiro chimed in quickly, earning odd looks around the table, even from Zaraki himself. The white-haired captain was known to rather avoid fighting and instead relying on diplomacy and common sense to solve conflicts.

"I really think we need to act now and stop Aizen while we still can, before he gets too powerful" he continued, ignoring the weird looks, "according to our reports Urahara still holds much valuable technological information that could prove disastrous if it gets into Aizen's hands." Another general let out a loud laugh, throwing his head back.

"Urahara hasn't done anything that we haven't already invented, the man's all talk", general Mayuri Kurotsuchi spat out. Shunsui frowned, Kurotsuchi had worked under Urahara when the scientist had still served in Seireitei's army. He clearly held a grudge against his old superior.

"In any case, I don't see a reason why we should let innocent people suffer because of an old personal grudge against Urahara" Shunsui said out loud.

"He's a traitor of the worst kind, he doesn't deserve our help" the small female general argued, "he should be executed and if Aizen manages to kill him, he's only doing us a favour."

"General Sui Feng!" Jyushiro scolded the woman.

"I agree with general Sui Feng, Seireitei should not assist this mutiny" Kuchiki added. Jyushiro and Shunsui exchanged worried looks, this wasn't going the way they had planned. Genryuusai harrumphed and leaned his knuckles against the table.

"I will need to think about this issue further before I make my decision. You're all dismissed."

"General Genryuusai, be reasonable…" Jyushiro started but was cut off by the old man's harsh glance.

"I said 'dismissed', general Ukitake. I'm still your superior, remember that."

"Yes, sir" Jyushiro sighed and bowed his head in apology. The generals exited the room, Shunsui and Jyushiro staying behind.

"Well that went well" Jyushiro muttered and pressed his fingers against his temples. Shunsui stared at the floor deep in thought. Finally he spoke.

"You're right Ukitake" he said and looked at his oldest friend, "we need to take this into our own hands." Jyushiro stopped for a second but then flashed him a quick smile.

"I'm glad to hear that."

"So I take it you already have a plan?" The white-haired general looked around them to make sure they were alone.

"I might have some idea what we could do. But we're going to need some help." Shunsui smirked.

"I think I might know someone."

* * *

><p><em>Little more hinting to Shiro's origin here. I'm still figuring out the details myself, I just wing this all and hope for the best (like a true professional would) so now it comes back to bite me 'cause I have to think of something that fits into all that I've written before. I did have a general idea in my head to begin with but it kinda grows on its own from there and ends up somewhere totally different from what I first thought. But let me know how you liked it, making any sense anymore? Or did it ever?<em>


	5. Chapter 5

_**Some more close up action this time, trying not to drag this on too much. Also some more revelations about Shiro's past, the plot thickens!**_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5. <em>The vi<em>**_**olence in your heart**_

Yoruichi had stopped the troops for a short break and called Shirosaki to her. The pale young man skirted among the young recruits till he reached the general's side.

"Problems?" Yoruichi asked the sergeant.

"Regarding this suicide, nope" Shirosaki replied sharply, "seems that the young ducklings have no idea what's in store for them."

"Right" Yoruichi said, staring at the pass that was already visibly in the horizon, "have you noticed anything out of the ordinary?"

"No, just like the last time. There are only six of them so they can hide pretty easily, and once we're in the pass, we'll be like sitting ducks."

"Shit" Yoruichi cursed, looking back at the young soldiers, "you think we have a shot?" Shirosaki shrugged his shoulders, the situation was wearing down even his usual cocky attitude.

"Maybe, if we're lucky and they don't just all collectively shit their pants. The best case would be that we manage to fend them off for a while then we could just run back with our tails between our legs. Though I think the point is for us to get killed." Yoruichi sighed and shook her head in disbelief.

"I still can't believe Kisuke would do this, he must've something up his sleeve" she pondered, "we've been in tighter places before but he has never been this desperate. It's the first time in years when we actually might have a chance and then he does this, I just don't understand it."

"Hirako surely didn't seem to mind" Shiro scoffed, "I wouldn't wonder if he had something to do with this." Yoruichi frowned at the possibility, she had been gone for some time when she had been training the recruits, it was possible that she wasn't been told everything.

"We need to entertain that possibility some other time" she said, throwing a glance at the young men past Shiro, "I think someone is missing you." Shiro turned around to see Ichigo standing just outside the ring of recruits lounging in the ground, eating their rations and drinking water. A brief smile flashed on Shiro's face before he glanced back at Yoruichi.

"I kinda left him hanging the last time, he might want to hear the rest of it too" he grinned at Yoruichi and excused himself with a quick salute. Yoruichi stayed on her place, still staring the pass that loomed in the distance. For a second she could swear she heard a maniacal cackle in the wind but brushed it off as a figment of her imagination. Meanwhile Shirosaki had sauntered to Ichigo, who was sporting a very serious look on his face.

"What's up Ichi" Shiro asked, his grin matching the seriousness of his half-brother.

"I want to know more" Ichigo said, "everything about you and me, and my family." Shirosaki's smirk widened just enough to make him look slightly insane and Ichigo still felt shivers run through his spine at the sight. That was all the more reason he wanted to know more, how had his…"brother" become like this, what had happened the day his mother had died? What was the role of his father in all of this? And besides that, why was the army sending them to their deaths, and how did Shiro know all this?

"That's a long story Ichi, you sure you wanna get to it in here?"

"You said it yourself, there probably won't be a better time anywhere in the near future" Ichigo said, "besides, if this is a suicide mission, this might be my last chance to hear the truth."

"You're not scared at all?" Shiro asked, tilting his head to one side and keeping his smile on his face. He had only known Ichigo as an adult for few days but was growing to like this new Ichi more and more. He wasn't the scared little kid he used to be and had toughened up quite quickly after the attack on the camp few nights ago.

"Alright, fine, might as well do this now" he complied and walked few steps away from the others, creating safe distance between them. He could see Uryuu watching them with suspicion but ignored him for the time being, he could deal with that later.

"So, where were we?" Shiro asked Ichigo once they were far enough for others not to hear them.

"You told me that my father worked for the Seireitei in a secret project, breaking all the rules and all that. And that you were there when my mother was killed." Shirosaki nodded, looking far away across the desert.

"Yeah, that's the basics of it. I think I should explain my own origins first, it might make things bit more simple." Ichigo said nothing, just stared at this strange half-brother of his, craving for an explanation.

"So, Isshin, your dad, he used to work with general Urahara in this top secret project in Seireitei, doing all sorts of genetic experiments, some of them more legal than others. Anyway, they were trying to improve the genetic heritage of embryos and possibly create life out of basically nothing. Crazy, I know, but then finally it worked." Shiro paused and looked at Ichigo to see if he was still keeping up.

"If I say they were using their own DNA to create this new live, do you get what I'm saying?" Ichigo's eyes widened and he stared at Shirosaki, trying to actually comprehend his meaning.

"So…Dad used his own DNA and then you…"

"That's how I came to be" Shiro smiled mirthlessly, "but of course it wasn't that simple. They went too far and then Isshin couldn't bring himself to terminate me anymore, I was growing faster than they had expected. So he took me out of the tank, grabbed his wife, your mother-to-be, and fled the country. He thought he could raise me as a normal son of his own, your mother was expecting you at the time already. And for some time it even worked, I was relatively normal and everything was fine and peachy for few years." Shiro went quiet and Ichigo could tell what was coming next.

"But then someone killed our mother and took you" the young man said quietly, watching for Shiro's reaction.

"Bingo" the pale man said, "they were after me that day." Shiro glanced at Ichigo, his expression quite unreadable. Ichigo was silent too, not knowing how to react.

"But…who was it? The Seireitei? Urahara?" Shiro shook his head, his long hair flicking around his face.

"No, none of them. It was Aizen and his minions. He used to work under Urahara during that time and knew all about his experiments. After the scale of Urahara's experiments was revealed he had to flee the country and Aizen chased after him, believing he'd lead him to me, the only successful experiment they'd done. And he was partly right." Shiro's jaw tightened as he remembered the cries and the blood staining the sand. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it gently. His eyes ran up the arm to Ichigo's face, the young man was looking at him with something that could be described as compassion or empathy. Shiro wasn't quite sure, it had been a long time since anyone had showed some gentler emotions towards him.

"Don't blame yourself, it wasn't your fault" Ichigo said in a serious tone, like he was absolutely sure he was right. Shiro snorted derisively, almost wanting to slap Ichigo's hand off him.

"It's my fault mother's dead. You can't get around that."

"No it's not your fault. Aizen killed her, not you."

"She was protecting me, us, if she had just let them take me you probably wouldn't be here, walking straight to your death." Ichigo shook his head.

"There's no point in thinking what would've happened and what wouldn't have, we can't change it anymore" he said, locking his eyes with Shiro, "and even if I die here, I wouldn't regret it."

"Why?" Shiro scoffed incredulously.

"Because I've met you. If I hadn't come here I would've never known that I had a brother." Shirosaki frowned at Ichigo, throwing a weird glare at the hand that was still on his shoulder. He shrugged him off, turning his back on the young man.

"I'm not worth anyone getting killed because of me" he murmured quietly, pulling his hood over his head, "not mother, not you, not anyone." Ichigo tried to say something but Shirosaki was already running towards the dunes, quickly disappearing into the scenery. Ichigo stared after him and again wondered how the man was able to move so fast, it was almost unreal. No man was supposed to run that fast. _Maybe it's the experiments, he said they were trying to improve the embryos somehow…Creating some sort of superhumans? _The thought of his father playing some kind of a mad scientist didn't really fit into Ichigo's head and he dismissed it quickly, maybe his father wasn't as stupid as he played out to be but Ichigo still doubted he'd be able to do something that sinister.

He then remembered what Uryuu had said to him on their first day, that his father had served in the Seireitei army. _So he was right after all. But why wouldn't he tell me this himself? Did he know Shiro was here? But…If Shiro was kidnapped by Aizen, how did he end up here? And why didn't he come back home? _Ichigo tried to catch a glimpse of the dark blue robes but saw nothing, Shirosaki had already gone far away. Ichigo then turned to look at Yoruichi, she was gathering the troops to continue their journey. _Maybe she knows something, she has to…But I doubt she'll tell me anything. _Ichigo walked back to his friends, earning curious looks from Uryuu and Chad.

"What did he have to say?" Uryuu asked, adjusting his backbag. Chad carried his own like it was filled with air, it looked slightly ridiculous on his giant figure.

"I'll tell you later" Ichigo said, then lowered his tone, "but I've gotta warn you, this mission isn't what it seems." Uryuu didn't look very surprised and Chad was his usual stoic self.

"I thought as much" Uryuu muttered back, "do you have any idea what we've got against us?"

"I wish I did. Only thing I know is that we might not come out of this alive." To Ichigo's surprise Uryuu didn't even flinch, as didn't Chad either.

"I figured there was something off with this mission to begin with" Uryuu noted, checking his rifle, "good thing we came prepared."

"Sarcasm?"

"Yes and no." Uryuu looked around them and then leaned closer to Ichigo, taking something out of his breast pocket and pressing to his hand.

"When the time comes, use it. But be prepared to run, fast." Ichigo nodded slowly, feeling bit confused but didn't have time to ask any questions when Yoruichi already ordered them in line to continue their march. He again lagged behind till he was at the end of the line and only then opened his palm to see what Uryuu had given him. It was a small glass cylinder, just the size of his thumb. It had some strange silvery liquid inside it. Ichigo knew Uryuu had been practicing some sort of chemical experiments before and didn't doubt this would have something to do with that. He carefully slid the cylinder into his breast pocket, trying not to shake it too much. He didn't want to blow himself up quite yet. If he had to use it, he'd rather take some enemies with him for the ride as it would most likely be the last thing he ever did.

* * *

><p>"Grimmjow, they're coming closer."<p>

"I know that you idiot, you think I'm blind?"

"Ah, no sir, I just…"

"Shut up and go back to your post. The fun is about to begin."

"Yes sir." Grimmjow kept staring at the nearing troops from his vantage point high above the pass. There he was hidden from curious spectators no matter how hard they'd look. His fingers caressed the hilt of his sword, itching to draw the first blood. Suddenly he noticed something moving in the edge of his vision. He turned to get a better look and saw a small dark form running between the dunes, occasionally dashing over them and sliding down on the other side. The thing that caught Grimmjow's attention was how easily and rapidly the form moved, and didn't even leave a trace on the sand. He cocked his head to one side and leaned forward to get a better view. A predatory smile spread to his face as he recognized the creature making its way across the desert towards the pass.

"Long time no see, Shirosaki" he chuckled lowly. His fingers grabbed the hilt of his sword and drew it out of its scabbard, the sunlight glistened on its shiny blade. Grimmjow spun the blade in the air few times before laughing out loud and striking it against the stony wall of the pass, creating sparks as the steel connected with the stone surface.

"Aizen'll be pleased to see your severed head at his feet for sure."

With another cruel cackle Grimmjow leaped down from his vantage point, making his way towards his men. Shawlong was quick to salute him and the others soon followed.

"Is the enemy approaching?" he asked their leader.

"Yeah, but it gets better" Grimmjow answered, earning curious looks from his subordinates, "they have the freak with them." This announcement gathered various reactions from the men, some looked surprised, others indifferent.

"I didn't think he'd still be alive" Yyltfordt noted.

"Should we be concerned?" Di Roy asked, looking slightly nervous. Grimmjow threw a glare at him that made him almost cover.

"Leave the freak to me" Grimmjow grunted, sheathing his sword with one swift movement, "I'll take his head to Aizen personally." Shawlong and the others nodded, not wanting to disobey their leader when he was lusting after blood like this.

"We will attack them once they have gone past me, Edrad and Nakeem, Di Roy and Yyltfordt will be in the front. They will be surrounded and most likely just panic, they'll be easy picking from thereon" Shawlong said, looking at others for reinforcement. Grimmjow nodded and then grabbed hold of a protruding rock on the stony wall.

"You keep your posts, I'll take out the freak once he gets involved" the man said before he leaped back up to his vantage point high above the ground. The men could hear his laughter echoing in the pass and even as they knew they weren't his enemies, the sound still sent shivers through their spines.

"You heard what he said, stay alert!" Shawlong commanded and the men slowly spread out to their hidden posts along the pass. For a bigger group it would've been almost impossible to hide in the pass but for a few men it was relatively easy to climb up the walls and stay hidden by standing on the small ledges. If the enemy wouldn't look up, they wouldn't suspect anything. And even if they did, it would probably be too late already.

* * *

><p>Yoruichi slowed her troops down as they came closer to the pass. She had noticed Shirosaki running off but hadn't stopped him, he was the only one of them who had been here before and knew the situation. Yoruichi was well aware of the young man's unique abilities and despite how much more secure she would've felt having him by her side, she knew they had a better chance if she just let Shirosaki do his own thing.<p>

"Stop!" she ordered the troops, who came into a halt behind her.

"Sado, come over here!" she shouted and soon the huge man was standing by her side. Even Yoruichi had to admit that for a man his size Chad could move very quietly, he was very agile and stealthy despite his stature.

"Would you mind leading on with me?" she asked. The young man nodded slowly, he rarely said a word if it wasn't necessary.

"General, if I may" a clear voice called from the lines and soon Uryuu stepped out of the queue, "I'd like to come with you." Yoruichi shrugged, she didn't see a reason why not. She could also understand why the young man wanted to accompany his friend on their first mission.

"Fine by me, come ahead" she said with a grin. Uryuu quickly walked to Chad's side and the young men nodded to each other, looking quite determined and serious. Yoruichi had the feeling Shirosaki might've told Ichigo about the true nature of their mission and he in turn had told his friends. _Maybe it's for the best, at least they have a faint idea what they're facing. _

"Hey, I'm coming too!" Ichigo jogged to their side, earning a slight glare from Uryuu.

"Should've known you'd butt in" the young man noted. Ichigo merely grinned at him and pushed back his hood, revealing his bright orange mane.

"Can't let you guys take all the glory now can I?" he joked. Chad nodded at him and Uryuu just rolled his eyes.

"Alright, let's get going then" Yoruichi said, turning to look at the other soldiers, "rest of you, keep in formation and stay alert! The enemy can strike at any second!"

"Sir yes sir!"

Slowly the group started to approach the pass. The high cliffs soon surrounded them, the coldness emanated from the coarse stone walls despite the sun beating down on the desert. Yoruichi's eyes darted up the sides of the pass, according to Shirosaki's report the enemy was just a small group of elite soldiers but their leader was the one to be wary of. The pass was an easy place to hide for such a small group, the high walls offered too many opportunities to ambush careless travelers. Yoruichi noticed that Ichigo, Chad and Uryuu were also keeping an eye out for the cliffs and ledges. It was eerily quiet despite the wind that was howling in the pass and the young soldiers were still making awfully lot of noise, they were still unused to moving stealthily. Though if they were spotted now, it wouldn't be because of the noise they made. Suddenly Yoruichi saw small movement from the corner of her eye and stopped, raising her hand up to signal the troops the halt. Within a second the whole group stopped, everyone was listening and watching for anything that would tip off the location of their enemies.

"They're close" Chad whispered. Ichigo and Uryuu nodded, their rifles on their hands ready to be used. Ichigo twisted his arm to make sure his dagger was still attached to its sheath. Then a whistling sound pierced the air and Chad quickly grabbed Uryuu by his waist and threw him to the side, a bullet hitting the spot on the ground he had been standing on a split second later. Before the shot had even connected with the ground Yoruichi had taken out her pistol and shot three times towards the attacker. They soon heard a satisfying cry of pain and then a body dropped down from a nearby ledge.

"Keep your stance!" Yoruichi ordered as she drew out her other pistol, glancing at the young soldiers by her side, "That was just the first one."

"There!" Uryuu shouted and quickly aimed to his left, high between the ledges. His first shot ricocheted from the cliff but Yoruichi could see a man quickly withdrawing behind the ledge. Then another shot whistled right past her ear, making her hair flick and then she heard the disgusting soft grunt as the bullet hit the young soldier who had been standing behind her. She didn't have time to turn and check on him as she tried to find the shooter. But smartly he had already disappeared between the cliffs.

"Shit" she cursed and started to slowly back off, "everyone, start to retreat, slowly, and someone carry the wounded, no one gets left behind." She heard the body being dragged across the sand and kept moving backwards, Uryuu and Chad following her example. Only Ichigo stayed few steps ahead of them, his eyes fixed on something that was moving across the ledges on the eastern side of the pass. Yoruichi narrowed her eyes to see it better but then she heard multiple shots being fired behind them and right after cries of pain and fear.

"Sir, they're behind us!"

"Fuck" she spat out and stretched her arm behind her, glancing over her shoulder to see how many enemies were cornering them.

"Sir, they're coming down" Chad's voice said beside her.

"How many?"

"Just two, sir."

"So there's three behind us" she counted, "keep the formation! Stay on target!" Ichigo was by now standing good ten feet ahead of the rest of the group, watching as the two men walked slowly towards them. He heard Uryuu quickly jog beside him, raising his rifle to aim at the men.

"Why aren't you shooting them Kurosaki?" he hissed at the young man who was just staring at the enemy.

"It's not a fair fight if only one of us uses guns" he said, drawing out his dagger from his sleeve.

"Don't be stupid Kurosaki, those men will kill you if they come close enough! Stop playing around!" Uryuu took a shot at the other man but he casually dodged it by stepping aside.

"We wouldn't hit them even if we tried" Ichigo said, "you best prepare for a close combat."

"Oh for God's sakes" Uryuu cursed but then Yoruichi's voice called his name.

"Ishida, you're needed at the back, leave those men to us!" Uryuu threw a quick glance at Ichigo before moving back.

"Remember what I gave to you" he said as he turned around to run to the other end of the group.

Grimmjow was chuckling to himself as he walked closer to the young soldiers. Yyltfordt was walking beside him, dragging the tip of his sword on the sand.

"You take the woman, I'll handle the kid" Grimmjow ordered and the blond man nodded, a cruel smile spreading to his face. Yoruichi spun her pistols back to their shucks and cracked her knuckles.

"Be ready Ichigo" she said quietly. The young man nodded, moving his other leg back. He could hear shots being fired behind them and then suddenly a larger explosion. He smiled darkly, apparently Uryuu had used his ace already. Suddenly the other man spurted into a run and Yoruichi quickly stepped forward. The man slashed down with his sword but Yoruichi grabbed his arm and easily swung herself off the ground, kicking the man on the back of his head few times in quick succession. The man began to fall to his knees but then just spun around, grabbing Yoruichi's leg and throwing her to the cliffs. She rolled to the ground and got up, somersaulting forward and tried to sweep the man off his feet. Ichigo didn't have time to follow the battle any further when he saw the other man leap at him, his sword raised high above his head. Ichigo quickly drew back and the man landed in front of him, staring at him with maniacal eyes. Ichigo readied himself for another attack but to his surprise the man just stood there, looking at him. He then grinned widely, flashing his oddly sharp teeth.

"I didn't know the freak had a brother" he said cryptically.

"What are you talking about?" He heard a loud crash and a yell of pain, realizing someone had just been slammed against the stone walls. He could swear he had Chad to thank for that. The man in front of him just laughed and suddenly his sword was coming towards Ichigo's stomach, making him block it with his dagger. The man merely snorted and pushed him back, nearly making him stumble to the ground. Ichigo didn't almost have time to regain his balance as the man swung his sword again, this time diagonally to slice his chest open. Ichigo gritted his teeth as he pushed his dagger against the blade with both hands, but still the man managed to push it forward, the blade's tip almost cutting the young man's robes. He had to direct the blade to the side while stepping away, spinning around to get out of the man's way as he lunged forward.

Ichigo had hoped he'd have a second to breathe and rethink his strategy but there was no such option with this beast. The man spun around again and charged, his blade pointed at Ichigo's throat. Ichigo stepped to the side and his dagger's blade dragged across the sword's edge, sparks flying in the air. The man seemed to get more and more excited by the second, a low chuckle rumbling from his chest. He whirled past the young man and this time created some distance between them, eyeing the young man carefully from head to toe. Ichigo saw Yoruichi was getting the upper hand from her opponent, the man was breathing heavily and his left arm seemed to be broken, it hung useless to his side.

"Eyes here boy" Ichigo's opponent jeered. Ichigo looked at the man who wasn't even out of breath. He was wearing white robes with stark black linings, but they revealed ample portions of his muscular body. Ichigo noted his clothing was more suitable for close combat since it allowed him more mobility than the robes the rebels wore. It was quite similar to Yoruichi's uniform that sported loose bottoms and tighter shirt with the loose scarf tied around her head and neck as a hood. Now Ichigo finally had time to analyze the man more properly, he was slightly taller and more heavily built than him, and little bit faster too so he knew how to throw his weight around. Even from the few seconds they had been fighting Ichigo could realize the man was fighting to kill, he wasn't playing around.

"Next time I won't be as gentle" he said, tightening his grip on his sword and shifting his footing. Ichigo didn't say anything, he concentrated on trying to figure out the man's next move. He didn't have to wait long, the man jumped at him but to Ichigo's surprise he didn't swing down with his sword, instead he spun around and threw a kick at Ichigo's midsection. It connected with a hideous crunch and sent the young man flying into the stone wall. The assault knocked the air out of Ichigo's lungs and he hit his head against the stones, making his vision spin. He tried to quickly scramble up, hearing the man come closer. He had just leant his back against the wall when he felt the sword being pressed against his throat and his breath hitched.

"I hope the freak isn't as pathetic as you are" the man grunted.

"Ichigo!" Yoruichi shouted as she saw the young man being cornered. Her opponent took his chance and slashed his sword at her head, only to have Yoruichi stop it by grabbing it between her hands. Next the woman's foot kicked him in the knee, making him fall down to the ground. Yoruichi turned to run to Ichigo's aid, though she feared it would be too late. But before she had time to move, she saw a dark form drop down from the top of cliff, heading straight down towards Ichigo and his enemy. Grimmjow also noticed this and jumped back just in time to dodge this new opponent. His wicked grin only widened as he recognized the man standing in front of him, there was no mistaking about that ashen hair and pale skin.

"Shirosaki" he snarled, another laughter escaping his lips. Shirosaki stood in front of Ichigo, shielding him from the attacker.

"Grimmjow" he spat out, drawing his scimitar from his robes. Grimmjow cackled gleefully, spinning his sword in his hand.

"I've wanted to skin your white hide for some time now, freak."

"I'd like to see you try, kitty" the young man sneered. The man's face contorted into a fierce grimace and he attacked, his sword swirling to Shiro's abdomen. The young man blocked the attack with ease and pushed Grimmjow back, countering with a violent strike that aimed for the man's arm. Ichigo managed to catch his breath as Shirosaki and Grimmjow exchanged blows with staggering speed. Yoruichi had dealt with her opponent who was now lying on the ground in a growing pool of blood. It seemed that the other soldiers had managed to at least fend the other attackers off since they could no longer hear gun shots, just the faint cries of the wounded. Yoruichi ran to Ichigo's side, helping him to his feet. She didn't seem even hurt, but the back of Ichigo's head was bleeding and Yoruichi suspected he might have broken his ribs as his opponent had kicked him.

"You did well" she said as the young man fought back to his feet. He didn't seem to hear her though, his eyes were fixed on the brutal melee between his half-brother and that beast of a man.

They didn't seem to even tire though they moved at an incredible speed, exchanging fatal blows so fast it was almost hard to see them. Shiro was just a whirlwind of dark blue and ivory as his robes twirled around him and his ashen hair had spilt out from under his hood. He seemed almost scrawny compared to Grimmjow's burly frame but he moved slightly faster and his blows were as strong as Grimmjow's. Suddenly he took few sidesteps, dodging Grimmjow's fierce lunge and grabbed the man's arm, moving his other leg between the man's and tried to topple him over.

Grimmjow wasn't so easily distracted, he changed the direction of his sword, almost hopped on his place to turn around and moved his legs away from Shiro's reach and grabbed the young man's hand in his own, keeping him in place as his sword swung down to bash his head in. Shiro kept his grip on Grimmjow's hand and spun around so his back was against Grimmjow's chest and bend forward, throwing the man over his head to the ground. The man somehow managed to land on his feet and pulled Shiro down instead, the young man pulled his legs to his chest and slipped between the man's legs, rolling on the ground behind him. Grimmjow was already running towards him again as Shiro crouched down on the ground, pressing his free hand against the sand. Suddenly Grimmjow stopped few feet away from him, glaring at the young man.

"Keep your fucking tricks out of this" he grunted at him.

"Too late" Shiro smirked and suddenly the ground before him parted, sand flowing into void that had suddenly opened in the ground. Grimmjow leaped backwards trying not to fall into the gaping hole that kept growing at immense speed. Yoruichi made a move to run away from it but it seemed to only follow Grimmjow, avoiding their direction. The man yelled out in frustration as he was forced to leap into a ledge on the stone wall, the void parting the ground at his feet just as he jumped.

"You fucking freak!" he shouted at Shiro who slowly moved back, making the crack widen until it reached from one side of the pass to the other. They were now separated from Grimmjow by a thirty feet wide gap in the ground. The man glared daggers at Shiro as the young man walked to Ichigo, carefully helping him up. Yoruichi kept an eye for Grimmjow as they slowly walked away towards their fellow soldiers.

"I'll kill you both! I'll kill you with my bare hands!" Grimmjow still yelled at them.

"Try to reach me first, kitty" Shiro jeered at the man over his shoulder, his cocky grin parting his lips again. Ichigo groaned quietly, making Shiro focus his attention back to him.

"You'll be okay, it's just a small cut and some bruises" he murmured softly, throwing a quick glance at Yoruichi. Uryuu and Chad were already standing in front of the other soldiers, staring wide-eyed at the gaping hole in the ground.

"What's the situation Sado?" Yoruichi asked.

"Five dead, six injured but we managed to defeat them, sir. Ishida had prepared some of his own…aids." The general looked at Uryuu who didn't flinch under her stare but instead looked defiant.

"Seems we have some pretty brave soldiers in our ranks" she noted with a faint smile, "Ishida, you help the others take care of the wounded, Sado, you help me search the enemies. Sergeant Shirosaki."

"I'm taking care of Ichigo" the young man said before Yoruichi had a chance to give him his orders. The two stared at each other for few seconds, a battle of wills that was doomed to fail. Yoruichi gave in, recognizing a futile battle when she was in one.

"Fine, but keep an eye on Grimmjow, that man isn't fooled by simple tricks."

"Yes sir."

Shirosaki walked Ichigo into a cool shadow and sat him down against the stone wall, crouching down next to him. The young man was still slightly dizzy as Shiro tore a shred of fabric from his robes and started to wrap it around Ichigo's head.

"What did you just do?" Ichigo asked him. Shirosaki hemmed, tearing another piece of cloth from the hem his robes.

"Your friend has his tricks, I have mine" he said dismissively.

"Is that what dad was trying to do?" Shiro's hands stopped for a second, then continued.

"Part of it yeah" he said in a hushed tone, "if you're lucky, you never have to see the rest."

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><p><em>I'm not really used to writing action so I hope it doesn't suck too badly. I've been wanting to write a fight scene between Shiro and Grimmjow ever since I started this fic so I hope you liked it. <em>


	6. Chapter 6

_**Plot advancing quite slowly here, I have a feeling that this might turn into a real epic, at least lengthwise. But it's all good, things will fall into place eventually and then everything will just happen. As it does.**_

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><p><strong>Chapter 6. <strong>_**Survive the only way you know**_

Shiro's face spread into a hideous grim smirk as he drew out his scimitar and twirled it lazily in his hand.

"If you're planning on running" he jeered, each word almost leaking dark amusement, "you're gonna die tired." The man crouching in front of him was breathing heavily, his stamina was already worn down and he had small cuts and bruises all over his body whereas Shiro was completely unscathed, a low chuckle resonating in his chest as he slowly took a step closer. The man shuffled backwards, his eyes darting to his discarded weapon that lay on the ground just few feet away from him. But even that was feet too many. Shiro dashed forward and the man tried to roll out of his way, sending clouds of sands flying everywhere. He crawled to his weapon and reached his hand to grab it, his fingers only inches away. He grabbed the hilt with a victorious cry but when he tried to pull it back, he couldn't. He let out a high moan as he noticed Shiro's foot pressing down on the sword's blade.

"How the hell…" he grunted as he tried to wrench the sword back, only managing to widen Shiro's bloodthirsty smirk, "why?" The pale young soldier laughed, his voice echoing from the rocky sides of the pass.

"Spare the questions for when you meet your maker" he mocked the man as he raised his scimitar, "I'm sure he'll provide you with the answers." A quick slash and then a muted thud and the man's body sunk to the ground, his head rolling few feet away from the rest of the corpse.

"Tsk." Shiro crouched down to wipe his blade on the man's robes as he heard the rest of the troops coming after him. _Took them long enough, _he thought as he got up and turned to look who had arrived first. He frowned as he recognized Uryuu's slim frame and serious demeanor, even from this far he could sense the young man's incredulous gaze upon him. And that man giant was following right behind him, like a huge loyal dog that could tear your head right off your shoulders. Uryuu noticed the corpse at Shiro's feet and slowed his pace down.

"Was he the last one?" Shiro nodded, the desert wind blew his long hair away from his face.

"Thought he couldn't have gone far, Sado managed to hit him pretty good" the young man continued as he walked to Shiro and knelt down beside the body. He glanced at the beheaded corpse and then at the severed head, taking in the main descriptions. Chad stayed few feet away, circling round them and continuing little bit further into the pass.

"Seireitei's border is only about quarter a mile from here" Uryuu noted as he got up, brushing away the dust from his knees, "there should be guards there."

"They're usually just beyond the cliffs, they can't be bothered to guard the pass itself" Shiro said, his scimitar was once again hidden somewhere inside his robes, "so there shouldn't be anyone for a few miles or so."

Uryuu's thin eyebrows knitted together as he tried to gather his thoughts and all the clues. At least they had survived this suicide mission, with some difficulty and too many losses, but survived nevertheless. He just wondered what would happen once they went back to the base camp, would the generals admit their real purpose or just apologise and claim they knew nothing?

"It's quiet." Both Shiro and Uryuu turned to look at Chad who was staring up at the cliffs, his eyes scanning their surroundings from under his hood.

"Too quiet?" Uryuu mused out loud as he walked to his friend, suddenly feeling wary and anxious. It was true they had tracked down all the attackers, except for their leader, that huge guy who had cracked Ichigo's ribs with one kick. Yoruichi had told everyone not to even go close to him if they saw him but to run for their lives, that man was a ruthless killer who wouldn't shy away from slaughtering young soldiers like cattle if he had the chance. Shiro had led them to track down the remaining wounded attackers but there was no sign of Grimmjow. Shiro suspected the man had climbed up the side of the pass and made his escape from the top of the cliffs. Though climbing up these rocky walls without any equipment seemed like an inhuman feat, Shiro was quite sure Grimmjow was more than capable of doing it.

"Where were you just before we were ambushed?" Uryuu asked the pale stranger, earning a disinterested look from those strange golden eyes.

"Private mission" he hissed back at Uryuu, turning his back on him as to indicate he wasn't saying anything more.

"You dropped in quite conveniently though" the young man continued, raising his voice as Shiro walked past them further into the pass.

"Quite literally too" Shiro sneered, pulling his hood over his head, his grayish hair still spilling from under it as he didn't bother to tuck it in. Uryuu exchanged quick looks with Chad, who looked as stone-faced as ever.

"You seem to know that Grimmjow guy, who is he?"

"One of Aizen's most trusted, a complete maniac who lives to kill everything that moves" Shiro answered before he even realized he was still talking to the young man.

"How many of these trusted men has Aizen then?"

"According to our latest information ten, plus their underlings."

"So there are nine more soldiers like that Grimmjow?"

"That's what I said yeah." Uryuu hastened after the pale young man, running to his side.

"Are those the elite soldiers we've heard about?"

"A-ha."

"But they won't be match for the generals?"

"Depends on what general you're talking about and which of Aizen's minions. He still has a whole army to back him up too, so he outnumbers us about five to one." Shiro threw Uryuu one of those looks where his eyes were shining with something that was bordering on madness and pure euphoria, almost making the young man take a step back.

"I say it's a challenge" the pale stranger continued before the rest of the troops came into their sight, Yoruichi keeping watch everyone was still holding up. Shiro noticed Ichigo dragging at the back of the line and frowned, the young man was severely injured and wasn't supposed to strain himself yet. He discarded Uryuu who was going to ask him more questions to run to his brother. He brushed off even Yoruichi who glared at him as he strutted past the female general until he was by Ichigo's side.

"How're you holding up?" he asked, watching as Ichigo clearly struggled to march ahead, beads of sweat were running down his face and his jaw was tightened.

"Fine" he hissed between his clenched teeth, keeping his eyes focused on what was ahead of him. Shiro didn't believe it for a second but said nothing, he acted the same way when he was injured, stubborn and defiant to the last gasp. He just walked beside Ichigo for a while but then couldn't any longer ignore Yoruichi's fiery stares and walked to her side. The woman grabbed the collar of his robes and pulled his head down to her level, almost making the young man tumble to the ground.

"I thought we had an agreement" she hissed at him. Shiro grumbled something under his breath, making Yoruichi tighten her grip and nearly choking him.

"Sorry sir, won't happen again" he wheezed and Yoruichi loosened her grip, letting Shiro straighten up.

"I do understand, it was a last resort but it's too dangerous in front of the rookies, they're already suspicious enough. I won't be surprised if we lose some overnight."

"I could keep an eye on them" Shiro obliged, glancing at the marching troops who looked quite worse for wear by now. Yoruichi sighed and shook her head.

"No point, I understand if they want to leave. Better if they do it now than when we have to get back. Besides, I need you to track down Grimmjow, that bastard has disappeared into thin air." Shiro grunted and his eyes flew up to the top of the cliffs, trying to spot possible movement. Seeing nothing he adjusted his robes around him, his hands disappearing into the wide sleeves. Uryuu and Chad were still leading the way, they would rest at the border and go back tomorrow. The wounded needed proper medical care and the relatives of the dead needed to be informed. They had buried the dead just outside the pass, throwing their enemies into an unmarked mass grave. Shiro and Chad had done most of the work, volunteering upon seeing how upset the other recruits still were. Uryuu had been taking care of the wounded and Ichigo had been ordered to stay put and rest, he had three cracked ribs that could easily puncture his lung if he moved too much. Shiro glanced at him over his shoulder and his brows furrowed as he saw the young man's pained expression.

"He's in bad shape" he noted to Yoruichi though he knew how she hated stating out the obvious. The general threw a quick look at the young man and nodded.

"He's a tough kid, just like you" she noted to Shiro, who looked at her with a deep frown, "I'm starting to see the resemblance." The pale young man scoffed but turned to look at his half-brother again, he could understand why he was acting so tough even though his feet were shaking and he was obviously in some serious pain. This wasn't the time to play around, you needed to toughen up if you wanted to survive. And Ichigo knew that this was just the beginning, if he gave up now there was no way he'd survive for long. Shiro smiled darkly under the cover of his hood. _He sure is learning fast. _

He moved his eyes back to the cliffs, remembering his order. He chose a one particular ledge as his fixed point of reference and then jogged to the wall, leaping towards it and grabbing hold of a ledge with his bare hands. His feet scraped the vertical surface of the cliff as he scrambled upon the ledge, his eyes already looking for the next possible hold. He climbed up the wall with amazing speed, earning impressed and slightly scared looks from the recruits as they walked past him. Shiro's slim silhouette wrapped in dark blue was distinct against the light brown stone wall as he made his way to the top of the cliffs, rolling on top of them and stopping for a minute to catch his breath. He rose to his feet and had to immediately pull his scarf over his face to stop the sand from entering his eyes, nose and mouth. He turned his back to the wind and pried his eyes open, trying to see if there were any signs of Grimmjow still hanging around, though he highly doubted the possibility. He couldn't see anything besides the ragged stony peaks and cursed inwardly as he thought of his mission. He liked wandering around alone, he could use his abilities to his best advantage without anyone witnessing it but running around these mountain sides looking for a murderous grunt somehow lessened the appeal.

Shiro walked over to the edge and saw the recruits slowly marching along, Chad and Uryuu as lone figures at the lead, Yoruichi strutting on the sidelines and Ichigo dragging along, fighting for every step. Shiro wished he could've helped him, he had gone through the same and knew exactly how miserable it was but he wouldn't be here if he hadn't survived it. He would've been dead and buried a long time ago. _Well maybe not buried, more like left to the vultures to gnaw the flesh out of my bones. _

Shiro turned his back on them and fixed his scarf so only his narrowed eyes were visible. He spread out his arms and felt the winds that whipped his robes around him, the sand biting into his skin even through the tough fabric. He felt a tug on his left and smirked to himself, the man hadn't run far. With a few limbering hops he started to skirt between the stony cliffs, chasing the scent of the murderer. He wouldn't had guessed it, but fighting an actual opponent for the first time in a long time had felt almost invigorating, if it hadn't been for Ichigo and the others he would probably still be down there exchanging blows with that monster of a man. He chuckled to himself as he bolted around a large rock, pressing his foot to its side to gain more speed. _Oh Grimm, you were always so much fun. I kinda miss it. Except for the part when you always tried to kill me. _Shiro shook his head at the memories that flowed to his mind. _Who needs enemies when you have friends like that?_

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><p>The walls of a long archway echoed from the sound of footsteps that rushed along the corridor. A messenger jogged along the pavement until he came to a large wooden door. He knocked on it and cleared his throat as he waited for someone to answer. Finally he heard a light voice calling from inside, urging him to step inside. The messenger swallowed nervously and pushed the door open, the heavy wood slid forward silently and a gush of wind blew some sand inside the room. The room itself was fairly dark, there were large windows at the back but they had heavy drapes drawn in front of them. There were two large divans in the middle of the room and a huge handmade carpet that almost covered the whole of the stone floor. The walls were lined with book cases that were spilling from the weight of books and tomes stacked into their shelves. Between the large windows was a large writing desk, made of dark wood that was almost black and it shone in the specks of light that pushed themselves through the drapes. Dust floated in the air and the whole room smelled of incense.<p>

The messenger's eyes darted around the room before he noticed movement in his peripheral vision and a robed figure silently crept across the room towards him. A pair of pale, slim hands appeared from the sleeves of the robe and pushed back a heavy hood, revealing the face of a man barely in his thirties with an angular face, overgrown silvery hair and eyes that were only thin slits, his wide mouth fixed into a constant taunting smile. He almost slithered closer to the messenger who already felt a bead of sweat run down the side of his face just from being in this man's presence.

"Hello there" the man said, his voice sounding overly amused for some reason, "you had a message for me, yes?" The man nodded and started to fumble his belt for the said message. The smiling man tilted his head to one side, the messenger was sure he felt those creepy eyes scanning his every movement even though they seemed to be closed.

"Here, general Ichimaru" he uttered as he finally managed to pull out the scroll, handing it to the man, "it was said to be very urgent and extremely personal." The smiling general took the scroll gingerly and his smirk widened.

"Oh my, that sounds interesting" he said as his long fingers rolled the message open. His eyes opened into narrow slits, revealing light blue orbs that eyed the scroll quickly before hiding it somewhere inside his robes.

"Thank you, you may go now" he said to the messenger, already turning his back to him. The man fought back a relieved sigh and excused himself as quickly as he could without seeming rude. Gin Ichimaru strolled to his desk and sat on his chair, leaning back and putting his feet up. He tapped his fingers against his chest, humming to himself pleasantly. He counted minutes in his head before he heard another pair of footsteps coming closer. Soon the door to his room was slammed open and a dark skinned man with long dreadlocks strutted in, his eyes covered with a smoked glasses. Gin arched an eyebrow at the newcomer, Kaname Tousen had been blind since birth but you would've never known it from the way he moved, sometimes Gin felt like he saw much better than normal people did.

"Hey there Kaname" he greeted the man with a lazy wave of his hand, not even bothering to get up, "how are things?" The man didn't say anything, just marched across the room right to Gin's desk and slammed something down on it. Gin's eyebrow rose even further up towards his hairline as he peered at the object so violently placed before him.

"Oh, so you got the memo too? Fascinating read, isn't it?" he asked with a lopsided smile. His fellow general didn't seem amused. Gin felt the man's unseeing eyes bore into his skull and right through him. But he was used to it by now and just smiled little wider, he knew Kaname could somehow sense it even though he couldn't see.

"Why wasn't this reported earlier?" Kaname asked, his usually calm voice was clearly straining under his control. Gin managed to suppress a chuckle and just spread out his hands, his oversized robes flowing around his skinny arms.

"This is the first time I hear of this, maybe he hasn't done anything before now."

"This was not part of the plan." Gin shrugged his shoulders and folded his arms on his lap, rocking back with his chair.

"War tends to have a lot of variables, maybe the situation took an unexpected turn." Kaname drew back, straightening his back into a rigid posture.

"You don't really believe that, do you?" Gin stared at the man in silence for good few seconds, his face betraying no emotion whatsoever. Finally Kaname gave up with a strained scoff and grabbed the scroll back into his hand.

"I will go and report this to commander Aizen, he needs to be informed immediately."

"Who says he already isn't?" Kaname's face froze as he scowled at Gin's smirking face.

"You _did_ know of this beforehand, didn't you?" he said, his words dropping slowly and cold as ice, "You sly son of a bitch." Gin let out a lilting laugh and lurched forward in his chair, letting its feet scratch the floor as he jumped to his feet.

"I just happen to have faster sources, that's all" he said cheerily as he waltzed past Kaname, resisting the urge to pat the man on the cheek, "don't beat yourself up over it." Gin almost hopped out of the room, hearing Kaname following few steps behind. Gin made his way through the palace's long open archways until he came to the doors that lead to the main assembly hall, letting the guards open the doors for him. Kaname managed to catch up with him at this point and stood beside him, Gin could almost feel the silent rage oozing from the man's very being and it made him feel positively giddy.

They stepped inside the large hall which was over a hundred feet wide and three hundred feet long. Their steps echoed on the cobbled floors that emanated coldness that even the searing sun couldn't warm during the days. The said sun lighted the back of the hall, shining in from the few narrow windows situated high up on the wall. There was a large oval table at the end of the hall with long- backed chairs around it. A throne- like seat was situated at the end of the table, at the moment it was occupied by a tall man with sculpted features and wavy brown hair that was swept back, one stubborn strand of hair hanging over his brow. He was wearing white robes made from the finest fabrics and they made him look almost regal, even though currently the man was just lounging on his throne, a cup of tea steaming on the arm of the chair. Gin strode to him with an air of nonchalance all around him whereas Kaname was quiet and pensive as he had stepped into a church. His head was slightly bowed as he walked after Gin's skipping steps, throwing angry glares at the carefree general.

The jolly general waved his hand to the commander as he walked past the large table.

"Good day commander Aizen" he greeted him, "heard the news yet?" The man raised his calm brown eyes to Gin and he felt an involuntary shiver run through his spine as those eyes bore into him. He recovered in a bat of an eye though and continued his way to the throne, leaning his hand on its arm. Kaname stayed respectively distant and knelt down before Aizen.

"Kaname" he said, his voice soothing and tranquil, "Gin." Kaname nodded solemnly and slowly got up to his feet, Gin on the other hand hopped to sit on the throne's arm, almost brushing against Aizen and earning another horrified glare from his fellow general.

"Sir, I sincerely apologise for this prolonged wait…" Kaname began but stopped immediately as Aizen raised his two fingers in the air.

"No need to apologise, Kaname" he said, his inanimate voice concealing his inner emotions perfectly, "I know you did your best, as always."

"Thank you, sir." Gin could hear the wavering in Kaname's voice as he again bowed his head low, not daring to face the commander eye to eye. He let out a small chuckled and swung his legs in the air.

"Oh don't be so gloomy Kaname, all's well" he said cheerily, feeling Aizen's eyes piercing to the back of his head, "commander Aizen knows and that's what's important, eh?"

"You are right Gin" Aizen replied, his cold hand lowering to Gin's thigh. Even though his hands were always cold Gin could swear his touch burned like a hot iron.

"What are your orders, sir?" Kaname continued his groveling, almost making Gin roll his eyes but he had to keep himself in check in Aizen's presence. Though he was quite sure the man was a mind reader of sorts, he always knew how to get into someone's head. That's why it was extremely convenient that Gin was an amazing actor with the best poker face in the world. It had saved his skin more times than he was even able to count anymore. In twenty years living so close to a complete psychopath one learned new skills to survive quite quickly. Aizen shifted on his seat, leaning his face to his knuckles.

"Has Grimmjow returned yet?" Kaname glanced at Gin before answering, the smiling man merely tilted his head to the side.

"No sir, we are still tracking him down. Apparently he faced the traitor alone." Gin giggled quietly, raising his sleeve in front of his mouth. Aizen's eyes flicked back to him, his mouth curved into a faint smile.

"Something amusing to you, Gin?" The young general shrugged his shoulders and flashed his wide smile at the commander.

"It's all just so predictable, isn't it?" he asked rhetorically, "Our two favorite freaks battling against each other, the other one protecting his kin…I just find that funny." Aizen hemmed and his cold eyes felt like they were stripping Gin's every word to the core, trying to find some alternative meaning behind them.

"You possess a strange sense of humor" he noted, earning another light chuckle from the man.

"Should we attempt to capture the traitor sir?" Kaname continued, clearly anxious to run off and do Aizen's bidding. The commander pondered this option for a while, his thin eyebrows furrowing ever so slightly.

"No, I think it will be best to just let them come to us" he said, "it shouldn't be long anymore. Or what do you say Gin?" The young general hummed out a cheery tune and nodded, fiddling with his sleeves.

"Yup, soon they'll be running right into our open arms" he replied, jumping down from the throne and spinning around, making his robes twirl around him. Aizen's eyes followed his every movement like a snake watching its prey.

"I'm happy to hear that. Kaname, when Grimmjow gets back, bring him straight to me. I think I need to talk with him in person." Kaname bowed low again as Gin hopped around the throne.

"As you wish, sir."

"That is all Kaname, you may leave."

"Thank you sir" the man said and gave Gin one last long look before walking out of the room, clearly having to stop himself from running out.

As the massive doors slammed shut again with a loud bang, Gin stopped his twirling and stared up at the narrow windows high above him. He was standing diagonally behind the throne, invisible to Aizen but somehow he still felt like being watched. The commander lowered his other hand on the throne's arm and bent his fingers towards his palm in an inviting gesture.

"Come here, Gin." The young general felt his whole body shudder at the way the man always said his name at the end of his sentences when he talked to him, as if his name was something that made his orders more powerful. To him it was just creepy that he always said it the same way, the same tone, the same stress, nothing changed whatever the situation was. He whisked back beside the throne, kneeling beside it and resting his hands on the chair's arm.

"Yes sir?" he asked, mimicking Kaname's way of speaking. Aizen looked at him slight amusement in his eyes as he got the joke and placed his hand upon Gin's head, his slim fingers running through his silvery hair.

"Something you would like to tell me?" This was one of those situations where his poker face came to a good use. Gin pursed his lips and cocked his head as if trying to remember something he had forgotten. Then he finally shook his head, Aizen's hand still gently resting upon him.

"Nope, can't say I have. Should I?" Aizen's eyes betrayed nothing that Gin could interpret, they were as calm and calculating as ever.

"If you say no, then I believe you" he replied, his hand slowly sliding down the side of Gin's face, cupping his chin. Gin could feel his heartbeat quickening but was by now used to ignoring it and suppressing any other symptoms that might've given him away. He felt Aizen's breath on his face as the man leaned forward to whisper into his ear. He fought back a shudder at the words and merely smiled as he always did. _Just do it for them. Like you have done this whole time._

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><p><em>Gin is such a funny character to write, especially when you pair him with Aizen. I'd like to write them having a normal, lovely relationship but I just can't...We need the headbastard in this story, though in a way everyone's screwing over everyone...It'll all become clear one day. Reviews are my drug by the way, just so you know. <em>


	7. Chapter 7

**_Just a quick note here, all my stories will probably be on slight hiatus for the next month or so, I have a lot of deadlines coming up and other boring university stuff so I really don't have time to write as much as I'd want to. But during the summer I will most likely have more time on my hands to everything should go back to normal schedules by then. In the meantime, enjoy the new chapter!_**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7. <strong>_**And the world was beautiful**_

Grimmjow stumbled down a dune, hissing a string of curses under his breath as his footing betrayed him and he rolled down the rest of the way, sand grating against his skin. He jumped back to his feet and continued walking, his left leg was starting to wobble under him with each step he took. That damn freak had somehow managed to hit him, he was sure he had used those damn tricks again. He had felt the freak tracking him down so he had had to use an alternative route to lose him. It had taken him way too long and his stamina was draining quickly, if he slowed down any more that son of a bitch would catch him. Grimmjow exhaled heavily and continued his grueling journey, he still had many miles to go before he'd reach the capital city.

"Fuck" he snarled as he tottered forward, he hated feeling this weak. _That motherfucking freak used some trick on me, there's no other explanation for this, no way… _Grimmjow suddenly stopped as he sensed someone being close. His hand went to his sword but he didn't draw it, the target was too far away yet. Then his expression turned dark as he recognized it and now he could even see a small form closing in from the distance. He didn't let go of his sword though the newcomer wasn't exactly his enemy.

"Ulquiorra" he growled as the man came close enough so he could make out his face. The smaller man was making his way towards him quite quickly, and though his expressionless face was covered by his robes as always Grimmjow was still sure he was taunting him. It didn't take him long till he was only twenty feet away from him, a scarf still covering half of his face but his distinct green eyes gave him away as always.

"Grimmjow" he addressed the other man, "I was wondering how far you had survived." Grimmjow tore away his own scarf, glaring at the smaller man.

"Did you doubt it?" he spat out, Ulquiorra now almost by his side already. The man stared at the direction Grimmjow had come from, not saying a word. He finally turned his back to it and glanced at Grimmjow, his eyes scanning his injured leg.

"He managed to wound you quite badly" he noted to the scowling blunette. Grimmjow grumbled and tried to stand up straight without his leg wobbling under his weight.

"Why are you even here? Did Aizen send you to babysit me?" he hissed as he tried to maintain his posture.

"No exactly, he sent me to make sure you're coming back. Though you seem to need someone to look after you" Ulquiorra replied, earning another angry glare from the man. Grimmjow fought back a groan of pain as his leg started to shiver under him from the strain, keeping his posture with the sheer force of rage. They locked their eyes in a silent battle of wills until Ulquiorra looked away, his gaze fixed to the looming form of the capital city in the distance.

"General Aizen will not wait for long" he said, "so if you want to keep that leg, I suggest you pick up your pace." Grimmjow locked his jaw and started to march forward, screwing his eyes shut as a wave of pain shot from his leg to his whole body, making him quiver. Ulquiorra watched as the other man stubbornly make his way forward but could see how badly he was struggling. With a withheld sigh he easily caught up with Grimmjow and grabbed him, enabling the man to lean his weight on him. Grimmjow glared daggers at him but Ulquiorra could immediately feel how the man shifted his weight from his wounded leg and leaned against him.

"This didn't happen" he grunted at Ulquiorra as they started to walk back to the capital city side by side. Ulquiorra didn't say anything, to him that had been self- evident. The two men continued their way in silence, Ulquiorra generously letting Grimmjow determine the pace. As they walked back, Ulquiorra silently pondered on where it had all went so wrong. They hadn't always been like this but nowadays it seemed like that past had never even happened. As if there never had been anything else but this. _Strange how you don't believe how easy it can be to erase almost your entire life in a blink of an eye, _he mused to himself, _you can't even imagine what could cause such a thing. _He glanced at the taller man beside him, his arm wrapped around Ulquiorra's slim shoulders. _When in reality all you need is a little push. And there's no way to go back._

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><p>Uryuu was tending to the few wounded as he noticed a long shadow being cast over him. He turned to look over his shoulder and saw Chad's hulking form standing behind him. With a quick nod he turned back to his patient, making sure he was alright for the moment and then got up, Chad had already taken few steps away from the resting wounded.<p>

"What is it Sado?" Uryuu asked as he brushed dust from his robes. The tall man turned his head and nodded towards the slouching form resting against the cliffs about thirty feet away. Ichigo had covered his face behind his scarf and seemed to be nodding off, occasionally shifting in his place as his wounds ached. Uryuu's brows knitted together and he pushed his glasses up on his nose.

"He's being a stubborn idiot again" he sighed, "he won't let me take a proper look at his wounds."

"Didn't Shirosaki take care of him already?" Chad rumbled. Uryuu scoffed, jerking his head.

"Yes, but I don't trust him. He's…too perfect, too convenient. And with the spectacle before, I don't think any of us should trust him, no matter what general Yoruichi says." Chad hummed, still keeping his eyes on Ichigo.

"Ichigo seems to trust him" he noted to Uryuu, who arched an eyebrow at him.

"That's enough for me" the other man continued, now turning his serious eyes back to Uryuu, who wasn't at all surprised. He respected Chad's unshaken belief in Ichigo and thus far it had paid off but at the moment Uryuu was feeling quite suspicious. He wasn't ready to count on a strange man that just appeared out of nowhere and seemed to possess some strange supernatural powers.

He frowned again as he thought about the fight between Shirosaki and Grimmjow, the man had seemed to know of the pale soldier's abilities. And according to what he had told to Ichigo, he had been at least to some extent been created artificially in a laboratory. Uryuu had heard the stories of general Urahara's past and his previous career as a brilliant scientist but hadn't even dreamed that the man might had been playing around with this kind of serious human experiments. _No wonder he got exiled from Seireitei, such thing is still considered pretty much taboo. _Uryuu stared at Ichigo, being slightly enhanced as an embryo still didn't explain Shirosaki's supernatural abilities. He had been able to make the earth itself change form seemingly just by touching it. Plus he appeared to possess near inhuman speed and athletic abilities, the way he had almost ran up that straight rock wall had been an amazing feat. And besides his smaller size, he had been able to fend off Grimmjow with ease.

"You're thinking about earlier?" Chad asked Uryuu, the young man had gone awfully quiet and his face was scrunched into a deep frown, his fingers tapping his chin. Uryuu glanced back at Chad and let his hand fall down.

"I don't feel comfortable with all this mysteriousness shrouding our assignment, I haven't read reports of such things before" he said, "well, nobody really knows what's happening inside Aizen's compound but if Urahara had been able to create someone like Shirosaki twenty years ago…I dread to think what Aizen has in store for us." Chad didn't seem fazed at all, though it would probably had surprised Uryuu more if he had.

"We have to worry about that when we come to it" he said, "but now we have to take care of Ichigo." Uryuu was going to say something more but was silenced by Chad's stern gaze. With another sigh he just raised his hands up and nodded.

"Fine, let's go take care of him."

Ichigo could hear his two friends come closer and raised his head up, only his eyes were visible under all his wrappings. Chad crouched down next to him, his deep brown eyes filled with concern.

"You feeling okay Ichigo?" The young man hemmed and nodded, only to flinch from pain as he tried to breathe in too deep.

"Yeah, just great" he wheezed out. Uryuu scoffed loudly and pushed past Chad, reaching his other hand inside his robes.

"Here" he said, shoving a small vile into Ichigo's hand, "take it." Ichigo glared at the glass vile filled with strange blue liquid and gave Uryuu a questioning look. His friend just rolled his eyes at him and gestured impatiently with his hand.

"Trust me, it'll make you feel better." Ichigo's incredulous look didn't go anywhere but he tugged his scarf down, popped the vile open and raised it to his lips, his nose crunching from the strong smell. Under Uryuu's glare he emptied the bottle, his eyes screwing shut as the bitter liquid went down his throat.

"Yuck" he muttered and smacked his tongue, "what's in that?"

"You wouldn't know even if I told you" Uryuu replied and pushed himself back to his feet, "but you should be feeling better soon."

"A-ha" Ichigo said and fiddled with the vile in his hand, "I believe you." Uryuu scoffed again and turned his back to Ichigo, who suddenly felt a strange warm sensation spreading through his body, starting from his stomach, travelling up his neck and down to his legs. His fingertips tingled slightly and his cheeks felt hot, but it wasn't an uncomfortable feeling. After few minutes he tried to stretch his upper body and to his surprise, his side didn't even hurt anymore. With a frown on his face, he gently pressed on his broken ribs, but there was no pain. He stared at Chad, who just shrugged his wide shoulders.

"What the hell is that stuff?" Uryuu kept staring into the distance where they had built a small bonfire where the other recruits were warming up.

"I told you, you wouldn't know" he repeated, pulling on his robes as the cold wind blew past them. Ichigo stared at his quiet friend, during the last few days he began to feel like he didn't actually know the young man at all. _Then again, it seems I don't really know anyone anymore, not even my own father. Not to mention my…brother. _Ichigo instinctively glanced up at the high stonewalls, it had been hours since Shiro had disappeared to his special mission, tracking down that monster that had almost killed Ichigo without breaking a sweat. Ichigo's hand balled into a fist as he thought about that short fight, he knew he was just a rookie but still, that man had been something from another world. _But Shiro had managed to fight him off…You can tell he's been in the army since he was just a kid. _

Ichigo scowled as he too remembered the stunt the young man had pulled to cut the battle short. _As if he was controlling the elements somehow…Impossible. _Ichigo wasn't one to believe in things supernatural but now it seemed that he'd have to, he couldn't discard something he had witnessed with his own eyes. It didn't change his opinion about Shiro and his reliability though, it just made him something he needed to figure out. He barely knew about his origins and his relations with Urahara and Ichigo's father, he didn't know anything about what had happened to him after Aizen had kidnapped him. Had he been there for long, had Aizen done something to him that had caused his strange abilities? _He had said that they had gone too far with the experiments and he had grown quite fast…And that he had been '"relatively" normal, whatever that means. _Ichigo didn't know much about genetic mutation but he was quite sure it was mainly improving physical abilities or maybe mental capabilities, but creating a person able to control the elements? Inhuman speed and agility he could believe but that was bit too farfetched. _It's like straight up magic, not science, _he thought as he rose to his feet, Chad quickly by his side ready to help him. Ichigo swatted the air with his hand as he felt how his feet were working properly again.

"I'm fine Chad, no need to worry" he said to his friend, "Ishida's magic potion seems to work quite well." The comment earned yet another sneering snort from the young man just before he stomped towards the bonfire, Chad and Ichigo following suit.

Yoruichi was sitting few feet away from her troops, cross-legged deep in thought. She was staring into nothingness, as she had been for the past few hours since they made their camp. She had been thinking about their mission, the inevitable return to main camp and what waited for them there. She was still mad as hell at Kisuke and at the other generals as well. Judging by Shinji's actions they had all known about this beforehand and had been more than glad to sacrifice young men just to see what happened. It made Yoruichi's stomach turn, no excuse about being at war and making sacrifices for the greater good could make that feeling go away. She had been a part of the resistance force ever since it had been created and she had believed in their cause every step of the way, she had trusted in Kisuke's vision, she had trusted in her friends, she had no other choice. You can't fight a war if you can't trust your friends with your life.

She been in countless battles alongside her fellow soldiers, she had lost many friends but also gained many more, and seeing young soldiers wanting to join in their cause made her heart swell with pride. Or at least it used to. Now she only felt like a traitor as she had led them here, she could've fought back harder, disobeyed the order. She could've warned them, faced the enemy on her own to save innocent lives. But she had blindly still trusted Kisuke, and now young men were dead and dying right next to her. For some reason these deaths hit her harder than ever before, even harder than the first time she had lost a friend in the field of battle. This wasn't just about their independence and ridding their country of tyranny, this had turned into a personal vendetta. Yoruichi wasn't sure how deeply involved the other generals were in this, or what Kisuke was planning to do. Was he really trying to negotiate with Seireitei to get help or for something else entirely?

Yoruichi felt a shiver run through her spine as she thought of all the possibilities. Part of her didn't even want to go back, she felt like running into the desert and never coming back. She could possibly make it to another country, create a whole new identity and forget all about this war. But she knew she couldn't do it, she had been here since the beginning, she would see it through. If not for herself or her country, then for these young men who trusted her. _If they even do that anymore, _she sighed mentally as she noticed Ichigo walk towards her. The young man seemed much better now, colour had returned to his face and his eyes were glowing again with that fierce inner strength Yoruichi had noticed already during his first days of training.

"General" he greeted her, saluting her formally. Yoruichi flashed him a smile and patted the ground next to her.

"At ease Ichigo, sit down." The young man folded himself into a sitting position and Yoruichi noted how he wasn't being careful of his injuries anymore.

"You seem better" she said as Ichigo crossed his legs.

"Yeah, Ishida gave me something" the young man replied and exhaled as he stretched his arms above his head.

"He's quite resourceful" the general mused, "I wonder where he gets that." Ichigo smirked.

"Have you met his father? The man's a real stick in the mud but he knows what he's doing" the young man uttered a small laugh and threw a glance at his friend who was again tending to the wounded, "he'd kill me if he heard me say this but he's more like his father than he'd ever admit." Yoruichi chuckled and raised an eyebrow at Ichigo.

"I could say the same thing to you." First Ichigo chortled but then noticed Yoruichi's genuine expression and scoffed, bending his legs and wrapping his arms around his knees. Yoruichi laughed and smacked Ichigo's shoulder, seeing him brooding like a normal teenager was funny considering the circumstances, it was a slight relief to see that he was still himself.

"It's a compliment you idiot, take it as one. Your father is a remarkable man."

"I wouldn't know about that" the young man huffed, "I've heard some not so flattering things about him lately." Yoruichi frowned but then realized what Ichigo was talking about. _Shiro, you idiot. _

"Hey Ichigo, don't believe everything Shirosaki tells you" she started, "he might be bit biased…"

"Oh yeah?" Ichigo interrupted, earning a surprised look from Yoruichi. She knew Ichigo wasn't big on respecting authority but he recognized her superior position thus far. _He's becoming more and more like his brother, _she thought as the young man scowled at her, _I'm not sure whether it's a good or a bad thing._

"He was born from my Dad's arrogance, he was trying to play god. He was responsible for him and when Aizen captured him, he did nothing. Why? Why did he leave him?"

"It's not that simple Ichigo, your father lost his wife and son to Aizen, but he still had to take care of you and your sisters, he couldn't just leave you and go after Shiro. It would've been too dangerous and irresponsible. What if he had died, and left you three orphaned?" Yoruichi tried to soften her tone as he saw Ichigo's expression fall.

"He was just trying to do what he thought was right and best for you. You have always been the most important thing to him."

"Shiro is his son too" Ichigo muttered, leaning his chin on his arms. Yoruichi placed her hand comfortingly on Ichigo's shoulder.

"Don't think Isshin has gone through one day without thinking about him. Or your mother. You shouldn't blame him for what happened, he blames himself enough for it already." Ichigo looked scornful at first but then just sighed.

"Guess you're right Yoruichi" he said, then gave the woman a small smile, "as usual." Yoruichi laughed and ruffled Ichigo's orange locks, the young man's face scrunching at the touch.

"That's more like it. Now go get some rest, we have a long day ahead."

"Yes sir" Ichigo replied with a grin and got up, walking to his friends. Yoruichi watched him go talk to his friends, Chad smiled faintly at him from under his mob of curly hair and Uryuu looked serious and pondering, as he always did. _I'm glad someone still has friends he can trust, _she thought with slight bitterness, _we're all not as fortunate. _She craned her neck back to look at the faintly twinkling stars in the darkened sky. _Oh Kisuke, what have you done?_

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><p>"Ukitake, what's the meaning of this?" Jyushiro smiled almost apologetically as the young general stepped into his private office.<p>

"I'm sorry to bother you general Hitsugaya but I needed to talk with you in private" the man said and gestured with his hand, "would you close the door please?" With a suspicious frown the young man closed the door and walked over to Jyushiro who was sitting at his desk, with many scrolls and maps in front of him.

"So what did you want to see me about? I guess it's important."

"Extremely so" Jyushiro complied and pointed at a particular scroll on the desk, sliding it to Toushiro, "read this if you will." Toushiro grabbed the scroll and read it through quickly, his turquoise eyes darting across the lines. His white eyebrows knitted together as he read further and finally got to the end, his eyebrows almost jumping towards his hairline.

"This has all been confirmed?" he asked Jyushiro, though he already knew the answer. The older general wouldn't have summoned him if it wasn't serious. Jyushiro nodded with a grave expression painted on his usually amiable features.

"Yes, by our closest informants. And general Kyoraku has seen it with his own eyes."

"You know this differs from all the other information we have received" the young man noted.

"That is why I needed to see you in private" Jyushiro replied, "I don't want this to spread beyond this room, understand?" Toushiro stared at the older general's stern eyes, despite his usually jolly behavior and kindness, he was one of the most powerful soldiers in Seireitei and his words were to be taken seriously.

"I understand" the young man replied, earning a faint smile from Jyushiro.

"Excellent" he sighed and leaned back on his chair, "please, do sit down. I don't mean this to be so strict and formal." Toushiro scoffed but drew himself a chair and sat on it, throwing one of his legs over the other.

"So" he started, folding his arms on his chest, "I suppose you have a plan?" Jyushiro nodded and picked out another scroll from the mess that ruled over his desk.

"You suppose correctly, this is the latest information we received just this morning. We, meaning general Kyoraku and I, have been outlining our plans since then." Toushiro took the scroll and eyed it through quickly.

"Things seem to moving quite quickly" he noted, "that other scroll was dated just few weeks ago and now this."

"Aizen has grown impatient, he has no desire to postpone his plans any longer. He has been planning this for the last twenty years if not even longer."

"Why wait this long, it seems he already had the technology he needed twenty years ago." Jyushiro shook his head, his long white hair flowing on his shoulders.

"No, back then it was mere curious experimenting and a lucky chance, he needed to perfect it. He couldn't leave anything to fate, he needed to be absolutely sure everything worked the way he wanted."

"Sounds like Aizen" Toushiro complied and looked at the scroll again, "so what's the plan?" Jyushiro told him, earning a somewhat incredulous look from the young general.

"It might work, I admit that" he said after Jyushiro was done, "but how will you execute it without general Yamamoto knowing anything, and with only the three of us involved in this scheme?" Jyushiro smiled kindly at him.

"I understand your doubts but you must remember that Kyoraku and I have been working under old Genryuusai for decades, we have learned a few tricks. And we have our ways." Toushiro cocked an eyebrow at the older man but knew better than to doubt his words.

"Alright, suppose you were able to pull this off" he said, "what then, you can only go quietly with this up to a point, after that everyone is bound to know."

"I'm aware of that, don't worry."

"I'll try not to, but when you're conspiring against almost the whole of Seireitei, you can't really blame me for feeling bit cautious." Jyushiro smiled again and leaned his elbows on the desk.

"I understand, and it's fine, just as long as you trust us and we can trust you. I admit this is a big gamble for us but I believe we can pull it off. We just need your help."

"You got it, I assure you" Toushiro said, "but I have to ask, why me? Why not someone else?"

"To be frank, you are the only one we can fully trust at the moment. You have...a personal interest on this matter which makes you valuable and most reliable to us." Toushiro's jaw tightened and he lowered his eyes to the floor. For a moment Jyushiro regretted his words, he hadn't meant to upset the young man by bringing up bad memories.

"Toushiro, I'm sorry I didn't mean to…" The young general quickly shook his head and raised his eyes to meet Jyushiro's green ones.

"It's fine Ukitake, and you're right. I don't think anyone wants to see Aizen fall more than I do." Jyushiro looked at the young man with gentleness, despite his relatively short life he had been through more than many men did in a hundred years. All that had made him somewhat cold and cynical but he was still a very potent soldier and highly intelligent. Shunsui had predicted that by the time Toushiro was their age, he would become more powerful than any of them, maybe even more so than the old general Yamamoto. Jyushiro didn't doubt it, already at the tender age of nineteen Toushiro had accomplished so much it was hard to think what he could even do next. But it seemed that he didn't see it that way, he could only concentrate on his own failures that haunted him daily.

"So, what do you need me to do?" Toushiro asked, his turquoise eyes serious and calm. Jyushiro held back his smile and leaned forward like a conspirator, which they technically now were.

"The first phase is pretty simple. We just need you to make some discreet inquiries, I doubt anyone would doubt you snooping around a little" he said, "you can always play your 'young and stupid' –card whereas Kyoraku and I really can't do that." Toushiro frowned at the poke at his age but took it in his stride, Jyushiro was right after all.

"Okay, so where should I start, and what am I even looking for?"

"I'd suggest you try general Kurotsuchi's labs first, he was Urahara's subordinate after all so he might know something. If you could get into his files, that would be more than helpful."

"You think he might have something on Aizen?" Toushiro asked with an arched eyebrow.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he did, that man's thirst for knowledge is endless, especially if he sees someone as a competition. He has been trying to surpass Urahara ever since they started working together and since Aizen's own experiments were very much based on Urahara's work, Kurotsuchi's files might have something we could use." Toushiro nodded slowly, already trying to come up with ways he could infiltrate that strange general's personal files. He kept to himself most of the time and almost never let anyone even into his laboratory so it might prove to be quite the challenge. But Toushiro didn't mind, he was almost itching to leave and start his mission. His hands balled into fists as he thought about being able to revenge Aizen's actions and all the pain he had caused.

"I understand" he said and got up from his chair, "I will see to it immediately." The young man already turned to leave when Jyushiro called him.

"Toushiro, I understand your anxiety but please, be careful. We need to be discreet at any cost."

"I know that Ukitake, trust me. I'll get back to you once I have something useful to tell you." Before Jyushiro could say anything else, he was gone after giving him a quick salute. Jyushiro sighed and leaned back on his chair. Not two minutes passed before Shunsui entered his office without even knocking.

"So, how did it go?" he asked, walking across the room towards his old friend.

"Better than I expected, he is very keen on acting against Aizen, even if it means bending the rules a little." Shunsui smiled as he sat on the desk.

"That kid will go far, let me tell you that" he noted as he took out his pipe from his robes, "we should all be on our toes." Jyushiro smiled back at him and threw him a box of matches that were lying on the desk.

"Are you scared or proud? You know he looks up to you."

"Bit of both I'd say" Shunsui replied as he puffed on his pipe to light it, "I don't think I've ever seen such a talented child in my life. Even you and I weren't that good at his age."

"Well you're right about that, but he's had it much tougher than either of us. That takes its toll on a person" Jyushiro reminded him.

"Guess you're right, as usual" Shunsui grinned, his pipe hanging from the corner of his mouth, "power always comes with a price." Jyushiro nodded, folding his arms on the desk.

"Some people seem to forget that."

"Anyone particular on mind?" his friend asked with raised eyebrows. Jyushiro hemmed and tapped his fingers against the wooden surface of the desk.

"You know sometimes I wish things could go back to way they were" he said slowly, "I start to forget how life used to be." Shunsui nodded silently, smoke slowly flowing from his mouth.

"We can't change the past Jyushiro" he replied, throwing a look at his oldest friend, "but we can try to make a better future, for everyone."

"Try as we might, how likely is it? You said power comes with a price, what kind of a price are we willing to pay for this?" Shunsui patted his friend gently on the shoulder.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, now it's too early to paint devils on the walls. Maybe things aren't as bad as they seem, you never know." Jyushiro sighed and managed a smile.

"Maybe you're right this time Shunsui" he said, then shook his head a little to rid himself of his pessimistic thoughts, "how did your little mission fare? Any progress?" Shunsui tapped the excess ashes off his pipe before puffing on it again.

"Well, you might say I had a little success, not as much as I would've wanted to but I think it's enough." He turned his eyes to Jyushiro again, the man looked curious already.

"You want me to show you?" His friend smiled widely, nodding eagerly.

"Please do."

* * *

><p><em>Hey, did I just see a slight overall theme in this chapter? Did you spot it? If you did good, if you didn't, well then it was just in my head. On another note, I'm not quite sure yet if there'll be any particular pairings in this story, I might stick more to the subtle hinting and such. If that bugs you then I apologise, I have enough in my hands with the plot as it is without long-winded relationship drama hogging up space. This might change though overtime, I still haven't figured out every single detail but it's coming along rather nicely I think. You tell me.<em>


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8. **_**Live to fight another day**_

Shiro crouched on the top of high dune, flattening his slim body against the sand. His eyes narrowed as he peered at the high spiraling towers of the capital city in the horizon, Aizen had certainly left his mark there during his reign. Shiro was still almost a mile away from the capital but had decided to play it safe. He had followed Grimmjow this far but had lagged behind as the man had been joined by another of Aizen's minions. He might've been able to take down Grimmjow, especially in his wounded state but going against both of them would've been more than suicidal.

_I did manage to get him though, _Shiro thought smiling darkly, he had seen the man limping forward, trying to avoid using his left leg. That had been a lucky strike for Shiro, even he admitted it. He hadn't expected the man to fall for it but apparently he had been caught between a rock and a hard place once Shiro had used his wild card on him back at the pass. Plus the pale soldier had learned a few new tricks after they had last fought. Shiro still felt shivers run through his spine as he thought of the heat of the battle, it had been hard to hold himself back and not challenge Grimmjow into another fight. _Fuck, I'd love to fight them both_, Shiro thought, his feral grin spreading, _especially that scrawny one…He has to be something else, no one can be that cool without something to back it up. _

Shiro threw one last glare at the profile of the capital city that was drawn against the evening sky, then slid down the dune, leaving the small track in the sand behind him. He somersaulted the last few meters and ended up on his feet, ready to launch into a sprint to return to the base camp. Suddenly he felt a distinct change in the air and halted almost midair, crouching back to the ground. He stayed completely still, not even breathing as he waited. It was now much too quiet. _Fucking hell, _Shiro cursed as he slowly started to count in his head, his muscles tensing as he began to prepare himself, _this is gonna hurt. _

A split second later he could feel the air move and kicked himself off the ground, scrambling backwards as the spot on the ground where he had just been exploded, making him shield his eyes from the sudden light. His ears were still ringing when he drew out his scimitar just in time to stop the blow aimed for his head. The sheer brute force behind the strike made his whole arm go numb and Shiro had to bite down on his teeth in order to not drop his sword. As his eyes finally recovered from the blast he pushed his attacker back and pulled his feet under him in order to get up. He didn't have much time until he felt a kick coming towards him and raised his scimitar to block it, pushing the weapon back with his free arm as his own feet dragged in the sand as he was being pushed back.

"Son of a bitch" he hissed from between his clenched teeth as he realized his strength wasn't enough to hold this enemy back and ducked down, hearing the air swoosh as the attacker's leg went past his head. This time he rolled further away and finally managed to find his footing, pushing his hood away from his eyes to get a good look at his attacker. He snarled as he recognized the man, he could feel how his disgust almost made his skin crawl. His attacker merely glared back at him, his one eye was covered by his long black hair and the other gleamed with madness and thirst for blood. The man swung his halberd on his shoulder and eyed Shiro slowly, his lanky form towering over the young man by more than a foot.

"You're still alive" the man noted with a predatory grin, "big fucking surprise." Shiro rose to his feet, his robes fluttering around his body as the wind blew past them. The fingers on his free hand were slowly circling around in the cover of his sleeve, his eyes fixed on the man in front of him.

"First Grimmjow, now you" he replied, a low chuckle dropping from his lips, "seems you're really missing me back there." The man scoffed and spat in the ground, throwing his head back in a defiant gesture. Shiro could see he was already gritting his teeth together, the guy was really on edge.

"What is it, Nnoitra, missed me so bad you can't even talk?" he jeered, only to jump in the air and roll away as the man suddenly lunged at him, his halberd splitting the air where Shiro's head had been.

The young man took few almost dancing steps to create more distance between them but knew if he had to fight this man, he'd have to get closer. With his halberd and advantage in height Nnoitra could reach him from almost ten feet away whereas he'd need to be almost on his skin to do any real damage. _Unless, _Shiro thought as he took hesitant sidesteps, keeping his eyes on that insane man, _if he gives me enough time I just might…_

As if sensing his thoughts Nnoitra lurched forward again, moving his halberd with a speed that seemed way too fast for such a heavy weapon, forcing Shiro to jump in the air to avoid having his head cleaved off. He spun through the air and somersaulted in the ground, hearing the man running after him already. _Fuck, he means business this time, _Shiro grunted to himself as he jumped to his feet and turned around just in time to block the man's halberd, the gleaming blade was much too close to Shiro's face for his liking.

"The fuck's wrong with you this time Nnoitra" he hissed as he pushed the man back with all his strength, "you're usually much more talkative."

"Like I'd talk to a little shit like you" the man snarled as he pushed Shiro back so he almost fell to the ground again. The young man uttered a dry laugh as he steadied himself again, shaking his limbs to get his feeling back.

"Looks who's talking" he cackled before making a quick dash towards the man, throwing himself on the ground and sliding between his legs, slashing upwards with his scimitar. He wasn't surprised as he felt Nnoitra block the attack with his arm and hearing metal clanging against the steel blade and quickly jumped back up, running away from the man to buy some more time. He turned to face the man and to his surprise he hadn't moved from his spot, merely turned around and was now watching Shiro with that ever-present leer on his face. Whereas Grimmjow's feral grin was mainly bloodthirsty, Nnoitra's smile was just beyond normal. It was abundantly clear that this man was insane.

"Who sent you, Aizen? Oh no, he wouldn't waste his time with scum like you, Gin maybe? Or do you take orders from the maids now?" the pale young man jeered, spinning his scimitar in the air. Nnoitra's smile turned into a grimace and his grip on his halberd tightened, Shiro could almost see the veins bulging on his neck.

"Oh come now Nnoitra, at least play with me before I chop your head off and bring it to Aizen, he'll probably put it on his mantle piece." Nnoitra let out a furious cry as he lunged towards Shiro, noticing the young man's cocky grin a second too late. Shiro raised his sword to block the man's halberd but then quickly closed the distance between them and pressed his hand on the man's abdomen. The touch only lasted for half a second before Shiro had to jump away to escape Nnoitra's grasp, skirting backwards on the sand. Nnoitra stared at him, pressing his hand on his abdomen and looked as if he was waiting for something. Shiro cocked his head to the side, resting his scimitar on his shoulder in a relaxed stance. Nnoitra's eyes suddenly widened and he started coughing, blood splattering on the white sands.

"You bastard" the man grunted as he wiped his mouth, staring at his bloodstained hand as another cough fit almost doubled him over. Shiro smiled darkly but backed away from the man, he knew Nnoitra would quickly notice the lack of any real damage.

"Well it's been great old buddy but you see, I got a new master now. So I can't really walk you home, but I'm sure you know how to run back to Aizen's feet with your tail between your legs by now" Shiro sneered before he turned his back to the man and started to run, hoping to make it far enough before Nnoitra noticed his bluff. He didn't the time or the resources to fight the man now, he had far more important issues to tend to.

Shiro was already a good mile away when he heard Nnoitra's enraged howl echo across the barren sand planes. He gave himself a grim smile as he continued running, he was still far away from safety.

* * *

><p>"Kisuke?" The blonde general was napping in his chair, his legs lifted on the large table that dominated most of his tent. As someone called out his name, he raised his hood up to see who it was.<p>

"Oh, general Hirako, do come in" he bid the man who was standing at the doorway to his tent. The slim man slipped inside, careful to pull the heavy fabric over the door so they wouldn't be disturbed.

"Any news?" Kisuke asked as he lowered his feet back to the floor.

"Nope, I think you managed to piss off Yoruichi big time" Shinji answered as he walked around the table, his fingers brushing over the maps that had been spread across it, "she has sent us nothing since they left." Kisuke sighed and leaned back on his chair, his body slumping down.

"Then she isn't just being pissed off, she's breaching the protocol."

"Maybe" Shinji said with a light shrug as he stopped, his eyes still cast down to a particular map that showed their border with Seireitei, concentrating on the northern pass. Kisuke looked at Shinji from under his mob of hair, raisin an inquisitive eyebrow.

"Or do you have another theory?" A joyless smile flashed on Shinji's face as he tapped his fingers against the map.

"Or maybe they aren't sending any messages because they can't." Kisuke frowned, quickly straightening himself up.

"Don't be ridiculous" he snapped, earning an emotionless look from Shinji.

"You know it's a possibility, Kisuke." The general swatted the air with his hand as he got up from his chair and started pacing around the table, throwing glances at the map showing the northern pass.

"They have only been gone for few days, the messenger might be on his way right now" he tried to rationalize but Shinji shook his head.

"You knew what would happen to them the second they entered that pass, even Yoruichi isn't that pissy that she wouldn't send a word to come collect the wounded. And the dead." Kisuke flinched at Shinji's words, though he knew them to be true.

"So that means, either they haven't found anything to report yet, which we know is not true, or…" Shinji let the sentence hang in the air, watching as their leader squirmed, riddled by his guilt.

"I thought you'd be prepared to hear this." Kisuke tugged on his hair, the blond strands slipping through his fingers.

"I…I thought I was…But she…No, she can't be dead. Impossible."

"Don't kid yourself Kisuke, you saw the reports."

"But they had Shirosaki with them as well!" Shinji shrugged his shoulders again.

"They had most likely given up their lives trying to buy the others time to escape. Then they have been snapped one by one." Kisuke stared at his general with mix of horror and disgust, despite he knew it was the most likely scenario in this current situation. _You stupid, proud idiot. You and your sick pride have led you into this, killing your own men. Even Aizen isn't this desperate or twisted. _

"Alright" he sighed finally, his head hanging low as he leaned hands on the table, "tomorrow we'll send men to look for survivors. And collect the bodies." Shinji scoffed, tracing the line of the northern pass with his index finger.

"If they have left us anything to bury."

"You'll be bit late for that." Kisuke and Shinji whipped around to see a familiar form standing at the door. Shinji cursed and his hand reached for his sword. Kisuke raised his hand to stop him, keeping his eyes on the intruder.

"Sergeant Shirosaki" he greeted the young man, distinguished by his dark blue robes and a strand of ashen hair that was visible from under his hood, "I see you have returned to us in safety." Shiro sneered and shook off his hood, his golden eyes flaring. He stomped towards them, or would have if he made any noise as he moved, despite his seeming anger he was still able to storm around without making any sound whatsoever. Shinji felt a shiver run through his spine, it wasn't normal having someone like him skulking around. Shiro folded his arms on his chest, glaring at the two men from under his brow. Before he had a chance to say anything, Kisuke opened his mouth.

"Is she…" he got as far as that when Shiro interrupted him.

"General Yoruichi is alive, and so are the most of the recruits who were sent off to their deaths." The young sergeant threw Kisuke a cold look.

"I'm not sure whether you count that as a successful mission or not." Shinji snarled at Shiro and almost drew out his sword, making the young man whip around, suddenly his scimitar in his hand pointed towards Shinji's throat.

"I said I'd have your head" Shiro near whispered. Kisuke sighed, he had hoped it wouldn't had come to this.

"Shirosaki, lower your weapon" he ordered in a low tone, his hands disappearing inside his robes, "or I'll be forced to hurt you." The young man first ignored the general's warning but then frowned as he felt a strange burning sensation on his hand. Shiro glanced down and noticed that the blade of his scimitar was suddenly glowing near red, the metal crackling under blazing heat. Shiro's eyes widened as he was forced to drop his weapon onto the sand and stepped back, holding his scolded arm by his wrist. He glared at his scimitar and then back at Kisuke, who apparently hadn't moved at all. Kisuke gave him a serious look from behind his messy fringe.

"There will be no mutiny in my camp" he said, but then smiled lightly, "or at least not in my tent." Shiro's glare didn't go anywhere, but Shinji had lowered his hands, even he didn't want to anger the general when he was this wound up already. He liked his hands as they were.

"So, the troops survived, that's wonderful news" Kisuke said as he walked around the table back to his chair, "and I see you're alive and well too." Shiro didn't say anything, his eyes darting to the scimitar that was slowly cooling down on the ground.

"So, what happened?" Shinji asked, "I take it that's why you're here." The young man rolled his shoulders back, shifting his weight from one too another.

"Shiro, please" Kisuke said softly as the sergeant stayed quiet, "I don't want any more trouble." Shirosaki snorted and flashed a mirthless grin at the general.

"Shouldn't have gone to war then, should you now?" he spat out, but backed down as Shinji took a step closer, "Fine, I'll tell you. Just gimme a second." Kisuke leaned back on his chair, lacing his fingers together on his lap as he waited for the young man to give his report.

"They were ambushed almost immediately as they entered the pass. There were only a handful of soldiers but they were all lieutenants with one general amongst them. Luckily Yorui- general Shihoin" Shiro corrected with mocking tone, "was quick to act and she has some recruits who are capable of more than pissing themselves when the enemy attacks. Only six died and few wounded, but we managed to track down all the attackers and kill them, with the exception of the general." Kisuke looked relieved but Shinji was wearing a deep frown on his face.

"You said 'they' were ambushed as 'they' entered the pass. Weren't you there when it happened?" Shiro threw an ugly glare at the blonde general but Kisuke bid him to answer.

"No, I wasn't" the young man finally snarled, "I was scouting on the mountains, but I returned immediately as I noticed the ongoing battle."

"So you did do something useful after all" Shinji scoffed with a grin, enjoying the furious look on Shiro's face as he had to hold himself back under Kisuke's watchful eyes. Shiro swallowed his pride for the moment and continued.

"After the battle I hunted down the last of the enemy soldiers and went after the general himself, but he managed to return to the capital before I caught up with him. When I left to return, I was attacked by another of Aizen's generals, but managed to make my escape and return with my report." Shiro turned his blazing eyes to Kisuke who was looking calm and surprisingly unfazed.

"So all in all, everything went better than expected" he finally said, tapping his fingers together. Shiro sneered and turned to pick up his scimitar, the metal felt cool again as if nothing had happened. The weapon disappeared inside Shiro's robes and he gave Kisuke one more look over his shoulder.

"If that's all, I need to be somewhere else." Kisuke raised an eyebrow at him.

"I wasn't aware you had a new mission already."

"I don't, I just want to get back to the pass and make sure they get back safe."

"Don't you think you've done enough already? They're soldiers, not some scared little kids who need a big brother to look over them all the time" Shinji snapped, "Besides, we need you to investigate the attack on the camp site, we still haven't managed to find out what was the reasoning behind it."

"Oh I'm sorry, I thought you were supposed to be soldiers, not some little kids who need a big brother to solve their problems for them" the young sergeant jeered back. Kisuke sighed again and rubbed his temples, Shinji and Shirosaki had never gotten along, the young man had no respect for authority whatsoever in the first place and Shinji hated his smartassing, even now Kisuke could see the vein on the blonde general's forehead twitching.

"Calm down Shinji, sergeant Shirosaki can leave to receive the troops back, with Aizen acting as brashly as he has there's no telling what he will do. A party of young soldiers carrying wounded men with them would be easy picking for few elite soldiers." Shiro looked mildly surprised that Kisuke was giving him permission to leave but nodded and then pulled his hood back on, throwing a smug look at Shinji before exiting the tent.

Shinji spat on the ground and glared at Kisuke.

"Why did you let him leave? He's just wasting time."

"You must remember where he comes from, we can't afford having him leave at time like this because he's being mistreated. It's a near miracle he's stayed with us this long. If it weren't for his brother he might've just left ages ago. That's why it's vital that Ichigo Kurosaki stays alive and safe as long as we need Shirosaki in our ranks." Shinji hissed out a breath and rubbed his neck.

"I don't like the idea of having to put so much weight on one fickle freak." Kisuke tut-tutted at his general.

"I'd choose my words more careful if I were you, you can never tell when he's listening." The blonde general raised an eyebrow at Kisuke but obliged, though seemingly discontent.

"Fine, so Yoruichi and her troops are still alive. What's next then?"

"What you told him, we need to find out what has caused Aizen to act this brashly. First the northern pass, then the air assault, the involvement of generals…I fear that the halcyon days are now over." Shinji folded his arms on his chest, tilting his head to one side as Kisuke's surprisingly serious tone took him by slight surprise.

"So if things are just now getting serious, what do you call the past ten years?" Kisuke Urahara pressed his fingers against his temples, rubbing the skin lightly. He could feel the tension already building up as he wrecked his brain for the best possible strategy against his old ally.

"I'd call them preparation."

"For what?" Shinji scoffed but his tone was hushed, as if he was now actually afraid someone was eavesdropping on them.

"For a true warfare" Kisuke answered, his eyes dark as he stared straight ahead, "Aizen has been playing with us this whole time. He has just needed to buy enough time to put his plans into motion. And we have been ignorant and stupid enough to give him that time."

"What are you talking about? We've been fending him off for a decade, we've been winning against his massive army, causing him enormous losses in the long run! Why the hell would he bother to do that just to buy some time?"

"Because he isn't interested in just gaining the control over this country, his ultimate goal is the concur all of the other nations as well" Kisuke said, lowering his eyes to the maps on his table, scanning them quickly, "I should've known Aizen wouldn't be satisfied crushing our puny rebellion, he wants to flaunt his powers to the whole world." Shinji took a step back as if Kisuke had just slapped him in the face.

"So that's why you were so desperate to get Seireitei as our ally, isn't it?" he gasped, "Do they know what they're really in for?" Kisuke shrugged his shoulders as he traced the border between them and Seireitei on the map.

"Maybe, if not yet then I'd figure Ukitake is doing some research of his own as we speak, or having Kurotsuchi do it for him. They'll find out soon enough."

"And what if they don't want to help us even then?" A joyless one-sided smile flashed on Kisuke's face.

"Then we will all perish."

* * *

><p>Outside the tent Shiro's hands were shaking inside his sleeves from his barely withheld anger. <em>That fucking twisted bastard, <em>he snarled as he stomped through the campsite. He wasn't even sure who he was talking about, Aizen or Kisuke. In his rage he nearly knocked over a young nurse who was carrying a lapful of bandages.

"Oh, sorry!" she exclaimed as Shiro ran past her, making her drop most of her burden. Shiro muttered a quick apology under his breath and continued, but then his conscience kicked in and he turned around with a low growl, stomping back to the girl who was now kneeling down and picking up her stuff. Shiro crouched down next to her and quickly scrambled up the rest of the bandages, earning a surprised smile from the girl.

"You didn't need to…" she said hastily as Shiro gave her the bandages.

"Don't mention it" he muttered as he tried to run away quickly but the girl grabbed his arm, her grip was surprisingly strong.

"Wait, you have something on your face" she said as she pulled Shiro back, reaching her other hand to touch his face. The young man flinched from her touch as if her fingers had burned his white skin upon touching him.

"Just be still for a minute" she continued in a gentle voice as she brushed aside a strand of his ashen hair to get a better look at him. Shiro had some recollection that he had suffered a cut on his face during his fight with Nnoitra but had just dismissed it as something minor, it hadn't even bled that much. But the nurse looked like it was something worse than a small cut.

"It's not deep but it might get infected if you don't do something about it" she noted to him as she ran her fingers along the cut, "it'll only take few minutes of your time, sir." Shiro scoffed, making the girl raise her eyebrows.

"Don't call me 'sir', nurse" he said with a low chuckle, "Shiro will do just fine." The nurse looked wary at first but then smiled back at him, a small laugh bubbling from her lips. Shiro couldn't remember the last time he had heard someone laugh genuinely, he had already gotten used to the thought that laughter was something that belonged to the battlefield when you were hyped on thirst for blood and manic from adrenaline.

"Then you can call me Orihime" she replied, still wearing that wide smile, "and come on, I'll patch you up and then you can go back to your adventures."

"How do you know I'm going anywhere?" Orihime shrugged her shoulders as she grabbed Shiro's hand in hers to lead him to the medical tent.

"You seemed to be in a hurry, I figured you had something important to do."

"And yet you decided to stop me" Shiro jeered but the girl just smiled on.

"You won't be going anywhere for long with an infection and a fever" she remarked to him over her shoulder. Shiro smirked to himself as he let the girl lead him to the medical tent. Part of him wanted to just shrug her off and get back to Ichigo as soon as possible, but another part of him knew that this might be the last time he ever received any kindness from anyone. _Just few more minutes with that face…Won't hurt. _


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9. _What makes you care_**_**  
><strong>_

"Oi, Ichigo! Eyes open!" The young man's head snapped forward hearing the general's command, he had been staring into space without seeing anything for god knows how long now. Embarrassment burnt his face, he was supposed to stay vigil on guard duty but since Chad had gone to make small rounds and left him alone to watch over the fire he had just gotten bored and drifted off. He shook his head to rid the tiredness from his brain and gave Yoruichi a small smile.

"Sorry general, I got distracted." The woman gave him a stern look but then cracked a wide smile, ruffling Ichigo's orange hair in an almost motherly fashion. Ichigo crunched his nose in distain but didn't pull away.

"I get it, guard duty can be such a bore" Yoruichi said as she sat down beside him and poked the fire with a long log.

"I just haven't gotten much sleep lately. And today's been…" Ichigo shrugged, not finding the right words to describe all the havoc that had already happened.

"I know, this isn't really what I trained you for, though don't go mentioning that to anyone" Yoruichi said with a grin, "I was supposed to have you prepared for anything, but it seems even I hadn't counted in that something like this could be thrown our way this soon." Ichigo nodded, staring into the crackling fire.

"We made it this far anyway so you haven't done that bad of a job" the young man smirked, earning a sharp slap on the back of his head before he had time to dodge it.

"Don't get cocky Ichigo, I could still take you on in my sleep with my arms tied behind my back" the general remarked and Ichigo didn't argue, he had seen Yoruichi throw Chad to the ground with one nimble movement during their training. After that no one had argued against her orders, self- preservation was one of the first things they learned.

"You think he's coming back?" Ichigo suddenly asked, almost catching Yoruichi off-guard. The general exhaled heavily, puffing out her cheeks as she weighed on her answer. Ichigo didn't even have to say Shirosaki's name, she knew who he meant.

"If what you really mean is 'is he still alive' then yes, I believe he is." The woman looked at Ichigo with a stern look in her eyes that left no room for objections that the young man obviously had on his tongue.

"Shirosaki is the best sergeant we have. You saw him fight one of Aizen's best, he won't go down without a fight. And knowing him, even that wouldn't be quite enough." Yoruichi thought about telling Ichigo that as long as he was here, Shirosaki would just adamantly refuse to die no matter what, his priority now was to protect his little brother. _That's why it is bit strange that he isn't here…It shouldn't take him that long to follow Grimmjow, even if he made it all the way to the capital…Maybe he's being thorough, or even caught him. _Yoruichi tried to hide her emotions and thoughts from showing on her face so she wouldn't worry Ichigo more.

"Yeah, I guess you're right" the young man said, looking thoughtful as if he had something on his mind he wasn't sure whether it was alright to say it out loud.

"Sir, er, Miss?" he started, earning a light laugh form Yoruichi.

"Just Yoruichi will do for now, go on." Ichigo smiled back at her but it didn't reach up to his worried eyes.

"Yeah, I was just thinking…About Shiro and that fight, I know he's been in the rebel army for over ten years but…Is he really just that good, or is there something else to him than that?" Yoruichi had been waiting for this question for some time now, she had noticed how Ishida had been suspicious of Shirosaki since they left the main campsite and knowing Shiro, he wouldn't had told Ichigo everything. She wasn't sure how the sergeant would respond if he found out that Yoruichi had taken the liberty of telling his brother about his somewhat questionable past. But she didn't want to lie to him either, he was too smart for that.

"I'm not sure what all Shirosaki has already told you, but I'm sure he would explain you himself if he were here" Yoruichi said, but Ichigo didn't give up that easy.

"Uryuu says this is all too convenient to be just a coincidence, I just wanna know at least if he knew I was coming here or was it all just a coincidence." Yoruichi made another mental note on how similar Ichigo looked to Shirosaki when he was wearing that adamant, stern look on his face. _They could be twins._

"The information about the new recruits does get transferred to the main campsite and to the generals when the training period has begun, so it is possible that Shirosaki found out your name and knew that you were coming. He also knew what day you'd be here so he came back from his own mission to see you, though he was bit late. He was supposed to be back before we got to the campsite." _Strange, I hadn't thought of that before…But Shirosaki's never late, he always rushes his missions through as quickly as he can…But that and now this, maybe it's to do with Ichigo being here. But if he's so keen on seeing him, why would he be late? _This time Yoruichi couldn't keep her frown from crunching her forehead as she pondered on this. Ichigo looked curious.

"Is there something wrong, Yoruichi?" The general quickly shook her head, this wasn't the time to doubt on the one person she could fully rely on.

"No, just thinking of our schedule for tomorrow, we should be back in the campsite by late afternoon. You'll meet Shirosaki there if he doesn't show up before that. My guess is he'll be waiting us by the jeeps when we get there, or drop on us in the pass. He likes to make an entrance." Ichigo flashed Yoruichi a rare genuine smile and looked back at the fire.

"Yeah, I've noticed that" he said as he threw another log into the fire, "he's something else, isn't he?" Yoruichi hesitated before answering, trying to decipher whether Ichigo was asking a real question or just making a general remark.

"Yeah, he is something" she finally uttered, glancing at the other young soldiers sleeping side by side near the fire, "you know, why don't you go ahead and get some sleep, I'll take over for you."

"No, it's fine, I'm not that tired" Ichigo said, and this time Yoruichi actually believed him. His eyes were keen and alert, his posture wasn't slouching like before. She could almost hear his mind racing inside his skull. _Let's just hope he doesn't turn out to be too much like his brother, _she thought as she got up and stretched her arms.

"Alright, then I'll go get some rest before the morning. Don't stay up all night, we have a long trek ahead of us tomorrow."

"Sure thing, sir" Ichigo replied with a nod, "good night."

"Good night Ichigo."

* * *

><p>Gin walked along the stone- paved corridors of the palace and enjoyed the stiff horrified looks of the guards as he passed by them. He smiled widely and waved to the men in uniforms as they tried not to show their fear. The general giggled to himself, seemingly unaware of the reputation he enjoyed among his subordinates. Gin strolled lazily on though he knew he was already late and would earn some very annoyed look from his fellow generals who were much more obedient. <em>Oh well, I think I've earned some extra freedoms, <em>Gin thought as he finally arrived to the doors of the main assembly hall. He gingerly pushed the doors open and waltzed in, effectively drawing all the attention to himself. As he had expected, all the other generals were already present, gathered around the long oval table with Aizen sitting on his usual throne. Gin said nothing as he walked towards the table, feeling judgmental looks on him with every step he took until he regained his usual place by Aizen's side. The head commander himself didn't comment on his tardiness, merely smiled at the thin general and raised his hand to touch him in passing.

"Nice of you to finally join us, Gin" he said as his fingers brushed against the man's arm. Gin's ever-present smile widened slightly as he took his place slightly behind Aizen's throne, hiding himself in the shadows. Kaname glared at him with his unseeing eyes and his brow twitched as Gin sniggered under his breath.

"Where was I" Aizen continued, looking around the table at his generals as if to wait for them to give him the answer. As they all said silent, knowing better than to answer to a rhetorical question, the commander smiled and shifted on his seat.

"Ah yes, Grimmjow. Would you mind explaining yourself?" Every head turned to the blue-haired general who was stooped on his chair. Grimmjow didn't look straight at Aizen, even the cocksure general wasn't so stupid as to purposefully annoy the commander.

"It was that freak, he caught me off-guard. Plus they weren't just some common rookies, they had explosives with them and that bitch of a general."

"General Shihoin, you mean" Aizen said in that same soft tone he always used when he spoke in public. Gin stifled his giggle as Grimmjow shifted uneasily on his seat, being under Aizen's stare wasn't the most reassuring thing in the world.

"So you and your so called 'elite' soldiers suffered a crushing defeat in the hands of a few badly skilled young men and a woman. Is that correct?" Grimmjow swallowed almost audibly and tried to answer to Aizen's piercing gaze. To everyone's surprise the general sitting beside Grimmjow, the emotionless Ulquiorra raised his hand. Aizen seemed slightly pleased with this turn of events and moved his eyes to the young man.

"Yes, Ulquiorra? Would you like to add something to Grimmjow's little tale of failure?" Grimmjow gave Ulquiorra a strange look and Gin's interest peaked, it had been Ulquiorra who had been sent after Grimmjow after the general had been taken more time than expected on his mission. Gin's sources had told him the two men had made it back to the capital on foot, with Ulquiorra near carrying wounded Grimmjow on his arms. Gin was disappointed he had missed that sight, it would've made for excellent amusement.

"I don't think Grimmjow's failure on this mission can be completely blamed on him, sir" Ulquiorra said, his green eyes staring back at Aizen with unwavering stoniness. Gin could almost feel the commander's amusement at this little act, Aizen loved playing games and by sending Ulquiorra to get Grimmjow back he had probably had something like this in mind.

"And why is that, Ulquiorra?" he asked, leaning slightly forward as if to hear the young general's arguments better. Gin would've felt sorry for the young man if he wasn't such a goddamn emotionless little creep.

"According to my information Grimmjow only found out about the involvement of higher seated officers when they were already in the northern pass and didn't have time to change the battle strategy to better fit such an opponent. He did the best he was able to with such a short notice and limited resources at his hand. And I might add that general Shihoin's recruits have been reported being more skillful than the usual rebel soldiers." Gin had to give it to Ulquiorra, the young man obviously knew that Grimmjow's failure wasn't due to the short notice, it was because of his own arrogance and personal vendetta. Aizen knew this too but was too amused by Ulquiorra's little performance to let it fall flat this early.

"You don't think you would have done better than your fellow general had you been in his place?" Aizen asked, lacing his fingers together under his chin. Grimmjow was seething beside Ulquiorra but the young man ignored the glares he was getting. He was probably more than used to it by now anyway.

"I agree that Grimmjow's approach to things is more direct than my own but I wouldn't say it would've affected the end result greatly." _The kid's good, he sounds like he actually means it, _Gin chuckled mentally. He glanced at Aizen to see what the man was going to do, would he continue taunting the young general or let it go and move on to punishing Grimmjow for his failure.

"Well, if you are so sure that you would've failed equally, then you might as well suffer Grimmjow's punishment for him" Aizen said and there was a slight edge to his voice now, as if he was daring Ulquiorra to go back on his word. To his credit, the young man didn't even flinch and his gaze stayed nonplus as ever.

"If you say so sir" he replied shortly. At this moment Grimmjow slammed his fist against the table and rose from his seat, he almost bristled from withheld rage. _Finally, _Gin thought.

"I don't need anyone to take pity on me, I'll take on the consequences of my actions" the man spat out, glaring at Ulquiorra before turning to Aizen, not cowering under the commander's stare this time. Gin almost felt like laughing out loud and applauding, this had turned out better than he had ever expected. _Aizen's probably having a raging hard-on right now, this is just too damn good._ The commander smiled gently and leaned back on his seat, tapping the arm of his chair with his index finger.

"You don't seem to appreciate the sacrifice young Ulquiorra here is ready to make for you, Grimmjow" he said, "after all, he was the one who brought you back from the desert where you would've most likely been eaten by the vultures in your wounded state." Grimmjow snarled and his hands clenched into fists.

"I don't need help, from anyone any time" he said, his voice straining under his wrath.

"A nice sentiment but the reality seems to be very different." Grimmjow froze, not knowing what to say. He had already stepped way over the line and had to choose whether to retreat or just go through with it. Gin was almost giddy from excitement as he observed the little expressions on Grimmjow's face as he weighed on his options. To his slight disappointment the man sat down, looking defeated. Ulquiorra didn't even glance at him, his eyes were still fixed on Aizen.

The commander was still smiling, slowly thinking of an appropriate punishment for this act of insolence.

"Alright, since you do not want any pity or mercy bestowed upon you, you shall both suffer the same punishment for this failure" Aizen said, earning no reaction from either of the generals. Grimmjow was sullen and Ulquiorra was emotionless as usual, both just waiting to hear their punishment. Aizen glanced at Gin over his shoulder and gestured him to come closer. The general stepped closer and leaned down so Aizen could whisper into his ear. His smile changed into a slightly more devious one upon hearing his orders and he drew back, looking at the two generals.

"Gin will see to your punishments. Gin, if you would."

"Follow me, you little rascals" the general announced happily and almost hopped out of the main hall, Grimmjow and Ulquiorra following behind him. As they stepped outside the main hall and Gin started to lead them towards the prison chambers, he could hear Grimmjow hissing at Ulquiorra.

"What the fuck was that for, you fucking idiot?" Gin pretended not to hear as he walked on, even humming out a jolly tune.

"I don't know what you mean" Ulquiorra replied with his monotone. Grimmjow threw a quick look at Gin before leaning down to Ulquiorra.

"Why the hell did you say anything, you knew Aizen wouldn't let me get off with just a slap on the wrist anyway."

"He would've if you had kept your big mouth shut" Ulquiorra murmured back. Gin could feel the young man's eyes boring to the back of his skull, he was obviously aware that Gin was listening to them.

"The hell he would, he knew the whole time I wouldn't let you take the heat for me, you fucking moron" Grimmjow continued, raising his voice as he clearly didn't care who could hear them.

"I thought you had learned to spare yourself from additional suffering but apparently I was wrong to think that you'd had even a slight amount of self-preservation in you" Ulquiorra hissed back.

"And look where your little stunt got us into, that creep will probably rip the skin out of our backs" Grimmjow growled, throwing another dirty look at Gin. This time the general turned around to look at the two men with that same grin on his face.

"More or less so, yes" he chirped happily and enjoyed the death glare he got from Grimmjow, "you're lucky you got me instead of Tousen, he actually enjoys the more you scream." Even Grimmjow shuddered at this but Ulquiorra was still impassive.

"I doubt captain Aizen wants to have two of his generals incapacitated at this time" the young man said. Gin's grin widened, _he's good. Aizen doesn't give him credit for nothing. _

"I think he can manage without one general who can't win against a group of infants and another general stupid enough to willingly subject himself to a severe punishment" Gin replied, enjoying the slight twitch of an eyebrow he got from Ulquiorra. Aizen might be able to scare people witless but Gin knew how to annoy them to the ends of the world. _Everyone has their limit, Ulqui, even you. _

"And here we are!" Gin declared as they came to the doorway that led down to the prison cells and torture chambers. He hopped down the steep stone stairs, the two generals still following behind him. Gin had to give them credit for not being stupid enough to try and run away. Gin was almost sure Aizen had sent Tousen to follow them just to make sure they wouldn't escape, though trying to leave the capital without Aizen noticing was impossible. Gin took a left turn in the damp hallway, there were few guards standing by on duty. There wasn't really a point to them, no one had ever managed to escape from the prison. Some had tried valiantly but even if they had somehow managed to get out of their cells and past the guards, leaving the city itself unnoticed was impossible. Gin had heard some wild rumours that one prisoner had made it all the way to the main gates when he had been finally caught by a guard and that guard had been Aizen himself in a disguise. Gin chuckled at the thought, _as if he'd bother to disguise himself. If that had been him, he'd make sure everyone knew it. _They finally arrived to a large, darkened hall at the end of the corridor. There were two guards standing at the door, and seeing three generals approach they quickly tried to look as if they hadn't been slacking off the whole time.

"General Ichimaru" they uttered and saluted.

"At ease, men, at ease, I'm just here to deliver some swift justice" Gin replied gesturing back to Grimmjow and Ulquiorra, "you two just keep doing what you're doing and don't mind the noise." The guards glanced timidly at two generals.

"Yes, sir" the other guard managed to say, trying to avoid staring for too long, "we'll be here if you need anything."

"Oh I doubt I will but thanks anyway" Gin said as he walked into the room and closed the door as Ulquiorra and Grimmjow were inside. Gin was still facing the door as he heard a soft rustling from behind him and smiled to himself. He reached into his robes with his right hand and swirled around just in time to press the blade of his sword against Grimmjow's throat as the general tried to lunge on him. Gin let out a soft laugh as he stared into Grimmjow's widened eyes, his blade pressing on the man's skin just enough to draw few drops of blood.

"Tsk tsk Grimmy, you're in big enough trouble already, don't you think?" Gin said softly as Grimmjow started to shake from trying not to cut his own throat on the general's sword. Behind him Ulquiorra was rolling his eyes, he had known Grimmjow would pull off an idiotic stunt like this one. Gin's smile didn't wane as he took a step closer, making Grimmjow back off in order to keep his throat unsliced. Gin made him walk all the way to the backwall until his back was against it.

"Turn around" Gin ordered. Grimmjow glanced at the chains that were hanging from the wall with heavy cuffs. The man glared at Gin before slowly turning to face the wall and before he knew it, Gin had cuffed his hands into the chains and he felt the cold steel against his neck. Grimmjow stiffened as Gin slashed his robes open to his waist, the cloth tearing so that it bared his back and shoulders. Gin turned to Ulquiorra, who had merely been standing still the whole time and staring into space. Gin figured it wouldn't be much fun punishing the young man but he would make an effort anyway.

"Young Ulquiorra, if you'd please" Gin said and gestured to the chains hanging right next to Grimmjow. Ulquiorra walked slowly over to him, disrobing himself to the waist so Gin wouldn't have to tear his clothes as well.

"Good boy" Gin mocked as he cuffed the young man's slim wrists. Grimmjow made a futile attempt to rattle his shackles as Gin walked to the wall containing a large shelf filled with various devices of torture, whips, more chains, vices, chokers, shears, rippers and much more. Aizen kept his larger torture devices in the next room and some even in his own private quarters. Gin had the bloodstained metal objects that were the stuff of nightmares. He suppressed a shudder as he chose a leather whip with multiple heads with heavy knots at the ends, he knew very well how it could tear flesh almost to the bone when used by a skillful torturer. He swung the whip in the air, making it snap loudly. The sound echoed from the stony walls and Gin could feel his own skin crawling from memories of the not so far away past. He turned to walk back to his prisoners, dragging the whip along the cobbled stones and smirked as he noticed how Grimmjow's back and shoulders were tense, the muscles coiling under his skin. Gin tilted his head to one side as he tried to pick who should be first. He flicked his wrist to draw the whip back and inhaled slowly.

"I'd like to say this hurts me more than you, but" Gin said, firming his grip on the whip's handle, "that's not really the case, is it?" Grimmjow growled and spat on the ground, throwing Gin a furious glance over his shoulder.

"Fuck you, Aizen's little whore." Gin's smirk turned slightly creepier and Grimmjow knew he had made yet another mistake. _Seems I don't have to decide who's first after all._

"You're lucky I'm not a petty man Grimmjow, otherwise you'd have to pay for that" he said, "but since we're here anyway, I might as well."

The air crackled as Gin lashed down with the whip, the motion almost too fast for the naked eye to see. To Grimmjow's credit he managed to stay relatively quiet for the first ten times, after that he seemed to just give up. Gin was almost sure he hadn't heard half of the swearwords the man spat out as the whip bit into his skin. Gin stopped for a while, just to wipe the sweat of his forehead. He turned his eyes to Ulquiorra's slim form, the young man had stayed completely still for Grimmjow's ordeal, his hands hanging limply on the chains. He had pressed his forehead against the cold wall, his eyes closed. Gin chuckled to himself as he took a sidestep and stretched his wrist, rolling his shoulders back.

"Now let's see what kinda sounds we can get from you" he muttered as he drew his arm back. The sight of dark blood running down Ulquiorra's almost white skin was quite intriguing, Gin would've wanted to almost paint a picture of it. Too bad it was the only thing that brought him satisfaction, Ulquiorra didn't make a sound no matter how deep or how hard the whip's tails sliced into his slender frame. But Gin had to admit it, he wasn't the most proficient with this tool, some men could easily tear whole chunks of flesh straight from the victim's bones if they wanted to. _But I guess this will do. _

After a while Gin took a step back to catch his breath. _Who knew punishing could be such a workout? _Grimmjow was shaking so badly his legs almost gave up under him and even the silent Ulquiorra had slumped against the stone wall, panting for breath. Gin looked down at the whip, it was covered in blood, as was the floor beneath the victims' feet.

"Okay, I think that's enough" he announced as he shook his arm to relieve it from the numbness, "now you two can just hang around for a bit and I think we're done for today." He got no response, the generals were too busy trying not to pass out from the blood loss and pain. Gin returned to whip to its rightful place and turned to the door, only to notice Kaname was standing at the doorway.

"Oh hi there Kaname, enjoying the show?" Gin asked as he walked towards him. The blind man stared ahead, arms folded on his chest with that solemn look on his face.

"Lord Aizen told me to make sure you weren't playing around too much" he said to Gin, who pouted his lips at him.

"Oh dear, I hope I have filled your strict qualifications" the general giggled, earning a stern glare from Kaname's blank eyes.

"Though I'm not sure you make for the best supervisor" Gin added with a sly smile, gesturing to Kaname's face, "you knew, being blind and all." Gin was quick enough to draw his own sword to block Kaname's strike, steel clanking loudly against steel as Gin stopped Tousen's sword inches from his throat. Gin laughed softly at Kaname's stunned expression as he pushed the man away and withdrew his weapon.

"Now now Kaname, you saw what I can do even when I'm not really trying. Do you really wanna try your luck with me when I'm angry?" Gin asked, "Though I have to admit it, I have been playing with the thought of getting to kick your hypocritical, self-righteous ass one day. But I didn't think that day would come so soon."

"You wouldn't dare…" Kaname started, his brows knitting together in anger.

"Wanna try me?" Gin taunted, he was hoping the stupid man would bow to his pride and just attack him so Gin could get away with killing him for self-defense. He'd have to find some else to mock but those people were plenty in this town anyway. But to his disappointment Kaname drew back and exited the chamber, swearing revenge under his breath.

"Huh" Gin sighed and shrugged his shoulders, and then turned around as if he had just remembered the two other people still in the room.

"How are you two holding up there?" No answer, even Grimmjow was too exhausted to even bite back. Gin sauntered to them, placing his hands on their shoulders and enjoying the feeling of muscles tensing under his touch. He pressed on a deep cut on Grimmjow's shoulder, making the man's whole body rigid and his eyes snapped open, his jaws clenching together in pain. Ulquiorra turned his head to stare at him, Gin felt almost angry about the way the young man was still wearing that same stoic mask on his face, his eyes showing no emotion at all. Gin's nails dug into his torn skin but he merely flinched, his expression never changing. Gin pulled back, smacking them both on the back and staining his hands in their blood as he did so.

"Well, my work here is done. Catch you later!" he bid them as he walked out, slamming the door shut behind him and leaving the two in darkness.

Ulquiorra had almost managed to doze off as he heard Grimmjow rattling his chains again and then a slight nudge on his leg.

"What?" he asked, almost instantly regretting it.

"What now then, dumbass?"

"Now we wait until someone comes to get us out and then we go back to our duties as normal. What did you think?" Grimmjow was quiet for a moment and then Ulquiorra felt a swift kick on his shin which made him groan quietly.

"I thought you had some kind of a plan, that there was a point of you getting beaten because of me! Are you some kind of sick bastard who enjoys getting his back sliced into pieces by some twisted sick fuck?" Grimmjow ranted, banging his fists against the wall. Ulquiorra kept his eyes shut, trying to shut out Grimmjow's voice.

"Be quiet would you Grimmjow" he finally said as the man stopped to inhale, "I'm trying to rest, the body heals quicker that way." Grimmjow opened his mouth to say something but words failed him, Ulquiorra's astute attitude was too much for him to bear. Instead he just scoffed and turned his head away, cursing his luck that he should be stuck in a dungeon with him of all people.

"Stupid son of a bitch…" he muttered under his breath. Ulquiorra shifted his weight from one foot to the other, trying to find the most comfortable position. _You just don't get it do you, you brainless ape, _he thought as Grimmjow's voice slowly faded away, _you never have and you never will. Probably that's for the best, for both our sakes._

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><p><em>Yeah, I know Gin is a huge sadistic asshole in this but well, he doesn't like these people. Really. And he has to keep up his appearances to Aizen (I'm giving away way too much here, aren't I?) Anyways, hope you enjoyed it, not in a twisted sadistic way like Gin but somehow. I keep dropping hints about Ulquiorra and Grimmjow's shared past, hopefully I can write more about it all in the future because I'd really like to all these characters to be explained properly and being more than just one-sided villains in the story. I have no idea if it's a good thing or not, maybe it would be simpler just to have them be evil but I think that's kinda boring. Tell me what you think, I'm a sucker for reviews, as every writer is. Till next time!<em>


	10. Chapter 10

**_New chapter, weee! I was planning on taking a little break from this, since it's been quite quiet and I thought no one would mind if I did something else for a change, but then I got inspired by a poem (?!) and so here is a new chapter. I have a feeling things will accelerate from now on, or maybe I'm speaking too soon, I only know how this is going to end but absolutely no idea what's gonna happen in between that and now. Professional, eh?_**

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><p><strong>Chapter 10. <strong>_**Listen to the blood**_

Shirosaki was making quick progress across the dunes, his feet barely touching the ground. To him this felt more like a leisurely stroll, he even did few cartwheels down the side of the dune and landed swiftly on his feet. He was very near the northern pass already, and despite that he had first cursed his stupidity of not leaving immediately after seeing Kisuke, he now felt that it didn't matter, everything seemed calm as it should be. The sun was already rising, illuminating the high rocky walls that loomed ahead of him. Shiro allowed himself a wide smirk as he came closer and could already see the pass, soon he would be reunited with Yoruichi and more importantly, his brother. Shiro thought of the condition he had had to leave Ichigo in as he had gone after Grimmjow and hoped the young man was feeling better, he could not afford to lose him now after all these years.

Shiro slowed down as he skirted down the last dune before the pass and suddenly something felt wrong. He stopped to listen, but couldn't hear anything except the wind howling through the pass. No chattering of soldiers, no stomping of boots, nothing. _That's odd, _he thought as he crouched down and pressed his hand against the ground, trying to feel for the slight vibrations that should be there. But instead he felt nothing. A sudden hot flash of terror went through his brain as Shiro quickly got up and rushed to the pass, already fearing the worst.

"No, no, no, no, no, no…." he repeated under his breath as he ran in to the pass, still seeing no one. He halted as he made to the spot where they had been ambushed, the sand was still spotted with blood. But not all of it looked like it had been there for days. Shiro drew out his scimitar, the weight of the weapon in his hand felt reassuring. He continued slowly forward, his eyes darting to the high walls around him. The wind whipped around him and suddenly he could smell something foul in the air. Shiro tightened his grip on his scimitar as he went over a slight curve in the pass and stopped, his heart sinking at the sight before him. He raised his free arm over his face, trying to block out the stench of blood and death.

Dozens of bodies of young soldiers lay in the sand, the ground was splattered with pools of blood. Shiro kept his scimitar at hand as he walked through the carnage, keeping an eye on possible survivors or familiar faces. There was no sound except the buzzing of flies already gathering around the eyes and mouths of the dead. Shiro tried to avert his eyes from the bodies that were now horribly disfigured, loose limbs and even severed heads lay everywhere around him. _Mindless slaughter, _he thought as he turned his head away from a body that had been sliced in half, _but…How? _Shiro made it past the bodies and continued to the pass but there was nothing. _They were ambushed, again. Maybe someone was waiting for them at the mouth of the pass this time. But there were more of them. _

Shiro took another good look at the piles of bodies. He couldn't see Yoruichi's distinct hair anywhere, they had probably captured her. He couldn't see either of Ichigo's friends, the huge latino or the thin spectacled one. And to his slight relief, he couldn't see Ichigo's body laying among the corpses. Shiro's eyes caught the body of a young man, barely in his twenties, with his arms cut off and his face frozen to a horrified scream. Shiro gagged and had to turn around, bile already rising to his mouth. He tottered further away from the bodies and slowly slid down to the ground, trying to breathe slowly.

_Fuck, _he cursed as he stabbed his scimitar to the sand and pushed back his hood, rubbing his face with his hands. _So they failed the first time and came back with reinforcements. But it couldn't have been Grimmjow, he wasn't in the shape to attack. _A cold realization came to Shiro's mind as he remembered his brief fight with Nnoitra. _Maybe he had troops waiting somewhere close, he could've easily made it here in time. Aizen must've learned of Grimmjow's failure and sent Ulquiorra to collect him, and another lackey to finish the job. _

Shiro hissed a breath from between his clenched teeth. _If I had just killed him, I could've prevented this. _Shiro shook his head, trying to collect his thoughts. So Yoruichi was captured, and apparently so were Ichigo and his friends too. He could understand why Aizen wanted to kidnap one of the generals but why three soldiers as well? _But Aizen knows who Ichigo is, _Shiro realized and another possibility popped into his head. _Maybe this was all meant to capture me. _Shiro grabbed his scimitar back into his hand and got up, he didn't have time to waste. He needed to inform Kisuke about this and go after Ichigo as soon as possible.

Suddenly Shiro felt the earth tremble under his feet and could smell something in the air. _Horses, _he realized and turned to look further into the pass in the direction that led to Seireitei. He could now hear a horde of riders coming towards him. He thought about climbing up the walls into hiding but decided to stay in sight, technically they were allies after all. _Well, some of them are. _

As the riders came into his sight, he immediately recognized the two leaders riding in the front, the two oldest generals of Seireitei were famous even among the rebels. Shiro raised his hand to halt them before they would ride further into the pass and straight into the piles of bodies and the horde slowed down until they were only few feet away from Shiro. Shunsui Kyoraku and Jyushiro Ukitake looked down at Shiro from their horses, their expressions told they could sense something was wrong.

"Identify yourself, soldier" Shunsui ordered as he reined his horse.

"Sergeant Shirosaki, sir" the pale young man said, "and what are two generals from Seireitei doing on our grounds?" Jyushiro smiled softly at him, his horse was a white mare that stood calmly in her place.

"Young sergeant, this area is officially neutral right until this curve here. So technically we're not trespassing on your land" he said and glanced at his companion, "at least not yet." Shunsui didn't look as bemused as he stared ahead in the pass.

"Something feels amiss here, Ukitake" he noted and then turned back to Shiro, "what has happened here, sergeant?" Shiro glanced over his shoulder, the massacre wasn't visible from this angle but the horses were getting restless, they too could smell the blood in the air.

"What seems like an ambush, sir. My whole troop appears to have been slaughtered while I was away tracking down one of Aizen's generals" the young man told the generals. Jyushiro's eyes widened and he looked at Shunsui with worry.

"Do you know who's behind this?" Shunsui asked Shiro.

"My guess is that after we had defeated the first of Aizen's minions here just days before, he sent another patch to finish the job while I was gone. This looks like their work."

"Are there any survivors?" Jyushiro queried, even his horse was now dancing slightly under him.

"I haven't found general Shihoin's body, or few of the young recruits so I take it they have been taken hostages. Aizen likes to play games." The two generals nodded in agreement, they were more than familiar with the cruelties Aizen was known for.

"What are you doing here, sir, I wasn't aware Seireitei was helping the rebel forces quite yet" Shiro asked, trying to determine whether he should run away or stay. Shunsui glanced at their troops over his shoulder and smiled faintly.

"This is officially a mere diplomatic party coming to visit your leaders" he explained but then his face was cast over by a dark shadow, "but it seems our visit has already taken a darker turn." Jyushiro leaned towards his companion and murmured something to him that Shiro couldn't make out. The men had a brief conversation before turning back to Shiro, their faces fixed into serious masks.

"We would like to help you, if we can, sergeant" Shunsui said.

"And if you would allow us" Jyushiro added.

"We can spare you a horse so you can travel back to your base quickly and bring this horrible news to general Urahara." Shiro took one look at the already skittish horses and shook his head.

"No thank you, sir, I can make haste better on my own, trust me." The generals didn't look convinced but let it slide anyway.

"Shirosaki" Jyushiro suddenly said, "you wouldn't happen to know a man called Isshin Kurosaki, would you?" The young sergeant's face froze for a second before he caught himself and nodded carefully.

"Ah yes, I thought you looked familiar" Jyushiro continued, seemingly remembering something from the past, "I knew your father, he is a great man."

"Didn't do me much good" Shiro spat out. To his surprise Jyushiro merely looked amused and nodded to him.

"Yes, that is the sorry state of things."

"What are you going to do next, sergeant?" Shunsui asked him, "If you're anything like your father, I doubt you will wait for the order to go after your friends." Shirosaki scoffed and folded his arms across his chest, he knew these two men could easily tear him to shreds but he had been in worse situations and wasn't scared.

"What makes you think I'd tell you?" he sneered, earning harsh glares from the soldiers behind the generals.

""Sir, must we bare this rebel's insolence?" one of them asked Shunsui. Shirosaki saw from the soldier's markings that he was a lieutenant, and as he turned to glare at Shiro, a woman.

"Hush now, Nanao, the young man is obviously upset by the gruesome faith of his fellow soldiers" Shunsui appeased his lieutenant. The woman didn't seem happy but obliged. Another soldier suddenly rode to Jyushiro's side and bowed his head before speaking.

"Sir, general Hitsugaya has made it over the border with his elite soldiers. They should be arriving to the mouth of the pass within an hour."

"Thank you, Kuchiki" Jyushiro replied and Shirosaki realized that this one was also a woman, and a lieutenant.

"Lacking in man power, are we?" Both lieutenants gave Shiro death glares, which made both generals chuckle.

"I wouldn't anger them, young Shirosaki, they are lieutenants for a very good reason" Shunsui said, "but now, back to the matter at hand. We will take care of your dead and take the word to general Urahara. I trust you have your own plans already?" Shiro nodded, already drawing his hood back on and calculating the fastest possible route to his next destination. He was pretty sure where he should go.

"Shame that we can't work together, it would've been interesting to witness your abilities with my own eyes" Jyushiro noted. Shiro raised an eyebrow at him, Jyushiro had been a general already during the time his father and Kisuke had been exiled but he didn't know how much of the research had actually been revealed to the others.

"By the looks of it, you'll get your chance sooner or later" he replied as he turned his back to them, "now excuse me, but I have some tracking to do." Before anyone could ask him more questions, Shirosaki stomped back to the sight of the carnage. He crouched next to one of the bodies and pressed his hand on a laceration that went across the victim's chest. As his fingers tingled from the touch, he pressed his eyes close and concentrated. His fears were confirmed, but he also knew where to go. He heard gasps behind him as the Seireitei troops came closer. He turned around to Shunsui and Jyushiro, the generals' faces were fixed into stony expressions.

"They're heading back to the capitol, I know the shortcut they're using. You deal with the situation here and inform Urahara, either I'll be back by the time they've decided what to do or then this is the last time we'll meet. Nice knowing you, generals." With that said, Shirosaki leaped to the nearest ledge on the cliff and started climbing up like a spider. Soon he was out of sight, leaving Jyushiro and Shunsui with their troops and the dead bodies.

Jyushiro sighed heavily as he got off from his horse, eyeing the scene of the slaughter.

"Such a mindless waste" he noted to Shunsui who also leaped down from his steed.

"There is rarely any sense in war" Shunsui said as he gestured for their soldiers to advance, "start making a bonfire, we must burn these bodies before the vultures come."

"Yes, sir!"

"So young" Jyushiro murmured as he stood by Shunsui, watching their soldiers prepare the dead.

"It's the older men who declare wars, but it's the young men who must fight and die" Shunsui replied gravely, lowering his hand on his friend's shoulder.

"But only the dead will see the end of war" Jyushiro added as he pressed his hand against his face, "we should've acted long before now."

"We can still save lives, it's not too late." His friend gave him a long, weary look.

"It's ten years too late Shunsui. In war it's always too late."

* * *

><p>Ichigo groaned as someone nudged him between the ribs. Through his slumber he could feel his body ache and knew it would only get worse once he was completely awake, so he tried to get back to sleep again.<p>

"Kurosaki, if you go back to sleep, I will personally make sure that you die first" somebody hissed right into his ear, the speaker's breath felt hot on Ichigo's face. The young man forced his eyes open and was faced with very tired and very beaten down looking Uryuu. Ichigo tried to move but noticed that his arms were tied behind his back, and his feet were chained together with Uryuu's. It was dark and Ichigo could just make out Uryuu's face when he was this close. He could hear an engine roaring somewhere ahead and their little cage kept gently swinging back and forth.

"Wh- where are we?" he managed to croak, his throat felt dry like the deserts themselves, "what happened?"

"We were ambushed, remember?" Uryuu replied in a similar throaty voice. He had to cough few times before he could continue.

"From what I gather, all the rest of the troops are dead. Yoruichi is being held in a separate cage, there's only you, me and Sado left." Now Ichigo could see a big lump behind Uryuu's back. Sado was still out cold.

"They knocked him out as he came to some time ago. They feared he could break these chains" Uryuu explained and kicked the chains with his foot. Ichigo noticed there were cuts and bruises all over his face.

"They did that too?" he said, nodding to Uryuu. The young man grimaced.

"Yes, I tried to resist, but these guys are short on words and long on fists. I haven't been able to find out much, just that they are obviously Aizen's men, sent for us after the earlier group was defeated." Ichigo nodded, trying to wrangle his hands free but with no success. He only managed bury the ropes deeper into his skins, he could feel blood trickling down his wrists.

"Don't bother, even if we managed to get free we don't have any weapons. Plus they killed thirty soldiers with ease, we wouldn't stand a chance with just the three of us" Uryuu said.

"So what, we just sit here and wait?" Ichigo challenged, though the thought actually sounded pretty good right now. His ribs ached again and his head thumped, he didn't feel up to fighting off a small army of thugs.

"That's all we can do, Kurosaki. Try to gather your strength so we might have a chance to escape later when we might actually survive." Ichigo sighed and leaned back against the hard wall of the cage.

"What is this place anyway?" he asked, squinting his eyes at the darkness.

"Looks like a crate of some sort, but it's strengthened with steel bars. Sado tried to kick through it, he only hurt himself" Uryuu said, glancing at their unconscious friend. Ichigo frowned as he tried to wreck his brain for what had happened before they became prisoners.

"Do you remember what they looked like? My head's still fuzzy." Uryuu closed his eyes as if he was trying to conjure up the mental images of their enemies.

"There were at least twenty of them, I think. They came out of nowhere, or so it seemed. I think they had been waiting for us in the mouth of the pass, some of them were properly positioned up on the cliffs. There were two leaders this time, at least of general status. They took on Yoruichi together when she tried to protect us, I think if she had just tried to save herself she would've made it."

Ichigo had a sudden flashback of the general pushing him aside, screaming for him to run as she had whirled out her pistols and taken out minions with deadly accuracy before being overpowered by two men wearing the insignia Aizen provided to his top men. Ichigo could feel a shiver run through his spine as the image of the other man flashed in his head, the man had been equipped with the biggest halberd Ichigo had ever seen. But the scariest thing about him had been his shrieking laughter as he had cleaved a young soldier in half with that monstrous weapon, blood painting his robes red. Grimmjow had been a frightening opponent but this man had been just plain insane.

"Alright, so Aizen upped the stages this time" Ichigo said, "but why didn't they kill us too? Why take three more hostages if they already got Yoruichi?" Uryuu shrugged.

"I'm not sure yet. But I think they were looking for someone else than us." Uryuu looked Ichigo in the eyes.

"How much of his past did Shirosaki tell you?" Ichigo scowled at his friend.

"You think they were after him? Why?"

"He's clearly not just an ordinary soldier, he's been somehow enhanced. I wouldn't be surprised if Aizen wanted to get his hands on the technology that helped create someone like Shirosaki. Now, do you remember him telling you anything that could relate to this?" Ichigo sighed and leaned his head against the wall of the crate. He tried to remember everything Shiro had told him, looking for a clue.

"He just told me my father and general Urahara had been working on the project together, genetically enhancing embryos. I'm not sure what their goal was, but apparently Shiro was the result of those experiments. But they seemingly broke some ethical laws and had to flee Seireitei because of that." Ichigo's head jerked back as he remembered what Shiro had told him about the day their mother had been killed. Uryuu raised an eyebrow at him.

"What is it, Kurosaki?"

"He- Shiro told me that the reason my mother was killed was…was because of him" Ichigo uttered, the look of pain in his brother's eyes flashed in his head. Uryuu's frown deepened and he leaned in closer.

"Why? Was it Aizen?"

"Yeah, apparently he had worked with Urahara before the exile, so he knew about his experiments. My mother tried to protect Shiro but was killed and they took him. But, that's all I know, he didn't tell me what happened to him after that."

"Aha" Uryuu hummed as he tried to think. Ichigo suddenly realized that his glasses were gone. The young man probably couldn't see anything unless he was this close.

"Did they take your glasses too?" Uryuu flinched at the question and squinted, as if he had forgotten about it already.

"Oh, no, I think they fell when we were dragged here. But I guess it makes no difference at this point anyway. I'm no use in this condition even if I could see." Ichigo frowned and opened his mouth to ask when Uryuu shifted and even in the dim light of the cage Ichigo could see the unnatural angle of his right arm. The sight made his stomach turn and he had to close his eyes to control his gag reflex.

"Doesn't that hurt?" he managed to ask after the feeling had passed.

"Yes, quite a bit" Uryuu replied, folding his legs to his chest to that his arm was covered again.

"Don't you have that magic potion of yours anymore?"

"No, they took the last vials I had on me. Besides, with our hands tied, I couldn't reach it anyway." Ichigo wringed his wrists again, trying to slide his hands free but the ropes were too tight.

"This is bullshit!" he suddenly shouted, kicking with his feet so that the small cage swayed. Uryuu groaned under his breath and threw a glare at Ichigo who was now trying to free his feet.

"Kurosaki, stop it. You're wasting your time and energy, just leave it."

"I can't just sit here and wait for them to kill us" Ichigo growled from between his teeth as he switched between wringing his feet and hands. Uryuu sighed tiredly and tried to shuffle further away from him, leaning his body against Sado's sleeping form.

"Just try to be quiet, will you? I'm in pain and tired, I don't need your antics to keep me awake." Ichigo gave his chains one last prompt kick before giving up, his chest heaving.

"Fuck" he panted for breath as he pressed his forehead to his knees. _Fuck._

* * *

><p>At the front of the jeep, in the driver's seat, a young lieutenant was trying to steer to vehicle. The task was harder than usual since next to him two generals were at each other's throats, bumping into him every now and then and making the whole jeep swerve. And of course he got the blame for that too.<p>

"Watch where you're driving, you shithead" the other general snarled and smacked him on the back of his head, almost making him hit his forehead against the wheel.

"I apologise, Nnoitra sir" the young lieutenant mumbled as he tried to straighten the jeep. The general sitting by the window sighed dramatically and leaned his elbow on the window sill.

"I should've known your underlings are as incompetent as you, Nnoitra" the man jeered.

"Shut it Szayel, or I'll rip out your spine" Nnoitra spat back, making his lieutenant wince. The other general merely laughed at the threat, pushing back strands of his oddly pink hair that hung over his eyes.

"Such drawl, always the same thing with you Nnoitra. You have no finesse whatsoever. You're even more boring than Grimmjow." Nnoitra lunged at Szayel, almost kicking his lieutenant against the window.

"Sir, please!" the young man pleaded as he tried to steer the car back to the road. The general named Szayel pushed Nnoitra off of himself and straightened the collars of his robes, glaring at the other man down his nose.

"You want to get us all killed, now that we finally have the managed to capture those filthy rebels? You crash this car, the hostages get killed or get away, and it'll be your head on Aizen's wall this time." Nnoitra growled but seemed to calm down, folding his arms across his chest and trying to sit as far away from Szayel as he could in the cramped space. His lieutenant let out a small sigh of relief but Nnoitra grabbed his hair and twisted his head painfully, though keeping an eye on the road so they wouldn't crash.

"You crash this car and I will fucking end you, got that?"

"Y- yes, sir" the young man whined as he tried to ignore the pain twanging across his skull. Finally the general let him go and slumped back to his seat, throwing a glare at Szayel who was busy ignoring the man. The generals managed to remain silent for few minutes before Nnoitra nudged Szayel on his side, making the man narrow his eyes at him.

"What is it now Nnoitra? I grow very tired of you and your little pet monkey."

"Why did we have to spare the three kids, why couldn't we just kill them like the rest?" the general asked. Szayel rolled his eyes at Nnoitra as if he had asked why the sky was blue.

"Because Aizen ordered us to spare and bring back the big guy, the nerd and the punk with the weird hair. Why didn't you ask him yourself if you're so curious?" Nnoitra scoffed and raised his leg against the dashboard.

"I don't have a fucking deathwish, I just though a fucking weirdo like you would know if they're gonna be used for some experiments or some shit." Szayel shook his head as if Nnoitra's stupidity was beyond his understanding.

"Did you even look at them? That huge guy I could probably use, but the nerdy one looks far too fragile for anything interesting, but I think it's the third one who has caught Aizen's attention." Nnoitra frowned at Szayel, trying to still look like he didn't really care.

"Oh, the one that bitch was trying to protect? What about him?" Szayel's face split into a self-satisfied smile, taking his time to answer.

"Didn't he look a bit familiar to you?" Nnoitra opened his mouth to order Szayel to quit trying to evade the questions when he thought about the young man's face again. A slow realization crept into his brain and his face mimicked Szayel grin. _Well well, fuck me sideways. _

"Oh yeah, now I get it." Szayel hemmed at his fellow general's slowness and turned back to the window.

"Good, I already thought I'd have to spell it out for you in the sand. Tedious." Nnoitra ignored the taunt this time and sunk into his seat, chuckling lowly under his breath. After another short silence he spoke again.

"I actually saw the freak just before we left." This time Szayel had to control his facial expressions from revealing his interest.

"You did? Where?" Nnoitra shrugged, nodding with his head to a general direction in the desert surrounding them.

"I was patrolling outside the camp when I noticed him running on the hills, so I tried to kill the little shit." Szayel arched an eyebrow and his mouth settled into a sneering grin.

"And did you succeed?" Suddenly Nnoitra regretted telling this story to Szayel.

"No, the bastard use some of his fucking tricks again and got away" the man replied, trying to avoid looking straight at Szayel's mocking smile.

"Why am I not surprised?" the general chuckled gleefully. Nnoitra shoved his elbow between Szayel's ribs, causing yet another squabble between the two generals as they tried to strangle each other in the confided space of the jeep. The young lieutenant pressed his body against the driver's side door while trying to keep his feet on the peddles and not crash the car. He wasn't that scared of killing them in a crash, but more scared of the possibility of surviving the crash only to be killed by his general. A cold shiver run through his spine as he continued on the rocky road towards the capitol, trying to ignore the two generals pulling out each other's hair next to him.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11. **_**Hate these thoughts**_

"Hey watch it, you idiot!"

"Well excuse me for trying to keep up the pace!"

"If you wanna fall off this mountain, then be my guest!"

"The only way I'm gonna fall is by being dragged down by your fat ass!"

"Oh for God's sakes guys, just stop it…"

"Did you hear what he said? He said I was fat!"

"No he didn't, he's just yanking your chain…"

"You heard me right, fatty! Come at me, if you dare!" Above the arguing group their leader let out a resigned sigh and grabbed the rope that they were all hanging onto as they climbed down the vertical wall of the mountain, and yanked it hard. The sudden tightening of the rope tied around their waists silenced his subordinates effectively and made them look up at their leader, who was staring at the rocky wall before him, trying to achieve a similar mental peace as the rock itself.

"If anyone of you says one more word, I will cut this rope and drop you all to the ground. Do I make myself clear?" The steely edge on their leader's voice made the bickering group shiver.

"Yes, sir!"

"Perfectly clear, sir!"

"Crystal clear, sir!"

"Clear as the day, sir!"

"Shut it!" general Hitsugaya snapped, turning his head to glare at his so-called elite soldiers. The four might've been few of the most skilled soldiers Seireitei had, not counting their generals, but to Toushiro they were mainly the most annoying. Right under him was his own lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto, a woman blessed with voluptuous curves and a fiery temper, which had helped her make her way in the male-dominated world of the Seireitei army. The other three soldiers were men, one lieutenant and two high- seated officers. Toushiro had acted according to general Ukitake's instructions and tried to keep his little special mission as undercover as he could. He had issued a notification that he needed few volunteers for a routine border patrol considering the recent increase in possibly hostile activity. Subtle enough not to raise suspicion but not too casual to catch no-one's attention.

But at the moment Toushiro hoped he could've just gone on his own, there hadn't been one peaceful moment since they had left the capital. Toushiro was used to his lieutenant's buzzing and babbling but multiplied by three and added with some idiotic testosterone- induced banter, the young general was seriously ready to strangle them all with their climbing rope.

Toushiro gripped the rope so tightly his knuckles turned white and exhaled slowly to calm his temper. He started to descend slowly again, his subordinates shuffling lower in silence. An occasional scuffle was quickly silenced by icy glares and meaningful nods towards the young general until they finally reached the ground. The first one of them to plant his feet down to the ground was a tall, muscular man with long red hair tied to a high ponytail and his body embellished with black jagged tattoos. Renji Abarai quickly untied the rope from his waist and secured their surroundings as the two seated officers made it to the ground, one a burly bald man with a maniacal twinge in his eyes and the other slim, slightly effeminate man with graceful movements.

Rangiku leaped down to the ground and reached her arms to lift her general down from the rocky wall. Toushiro gave her a devastating glare as her hands wrapped around his waist but she was used to it and just ignored him. Toushiro quickly shrugged her hands off before his other subordinates noticed and tried to regain control over his small elite group.

"Is the way clear, Abarai?"

"Looks like it, general" the redhead replied, loosening the ties holding his sword tightly to his back. Toushiro measured their surroundings, they were about an hour's walk from the mouth of the northern pass. The desert opened before them in its vast emptiness and oppressing silence. The wind spiraled towers of sand in the air, the rising sun was starting to make air waiver from heat. There was not a soul on sight. Toushiro scanned the nearby dunes to look for any kind of movement but then he noticed something else.

"Matsumoto, are those tire tracks?" he asked his lieutenant, pointing towards a narrow pass between two huge dunes in the distance. The woman walked to his side and peered to the direction he was pointing at.

"Yes, I think so, sir" she finally answered, then looked back to the direction where to traces came from, "I think they're coming from the pass."

"Strange" Toushiro muttered quietly. He knew the rebels didn't bring their heavy machinery this close to the pass, it would be useless in this terrain. It couldn't have been Ukitake or Kyoraku either, they had left on horseback. The only option left was Aizen. Renji walked to Toushiro's side, shadowing his eyes with his hand as he traced the tracks crossing the desert.

"Looks like a lighter vehicle, the tracks aren't that deep."

"Has to be in this terrain" the bald officer noted as he walked to them, swinging his weapon on his shoulder. His fellow officer was gathering their climbing equipment and swung the rope on his shoulder before joining the others.

"What do you think, Yumichika?" The man strained his eyes to see the light tracks.

"We should go examine closer, see where they're headed" he said, tightening the belt of his uniform.

"Suppose so" Toushiro muttered, his forehead still crunched in a deep frown. Something wasn't right.

"Sir, generals Kyoraku and Ukitake are probably waiting for us at the pass already" Rangiku noted.

"Yes, I know" Toushiro said, "Madarame, Ayasegawa, you go examine those tracks, Abarai and Matsumoto, you come to the pass with me as planned."

"Yes sir" the two officers replied, exchanging quick looks before setting off to fulfill their new mission. Rangiku pouted her mouth and crossed her arms under her chest.

"Why do they get to do all the fun stuff?" she asked her general whose brow twitched in annoyance.

"Because they have far more experience on tracking than you, and besides this is our original mission, which we have to carry out no matter what has happened here. Do you understand this?"

"Yes sir" Rangiku exasperated, her hands falling to her sides. Renji chuckled and nudged the woman on her side.

"Oh come now Ran, we're gonna have fun together with those two out of the way. Whaddya say?" Rangiku gave her fellow lieutenant a devastating glare which made him step back.

"You wanna keep that hand, you keep it to yourself" she hissed at him. Even Toushiro raised an eyebrow at this, Rangiku was confrontational but usually she enjoyed the attention from men, especially good-looking ones like Renji. But she had been on edge ever since they left Seireitei. Toushiro could only guess what had gotten to her this time.

"Alright, alright, don't get your panties in a twist" the redhead scoffed, dusting his uniform. Rangiku threw her head back with a derisive sneer and started to strut towards their original destination, kicking sand in the air with her thigh high boots as she walked. Renji looked at Toushiro but the young general just shrugged, he had grown used to his lieutenant's antics long time ago, even though she was being fairly unreasonable, even by her dubious standards. Renji rolled his eyes at the general and followed Rangiku, keeping a safe distance to the woman.

Toushiro glanced at Ikkaku's and Yumichika's receding backs before they disappeared behind a dune and then went after his other subordinates. He hoped Ikkaku and Yumichika would find nothing suspicious but doubted they'd have such luck. He had a feeling this would be a lot more complicated than he had initially thought. _As if sneaking into another country to help a rebellion you're not supposed to support with two other generals and half of the elite forces of Seireitei isn't complicated enough. _Toushiro sighed lightly as he walked across the desert, Renji's long ponytail swinging at the sideline of his vision. He was already dreading what all could still go wrong, and came up with too many suggestions to feel comfortable.

* * *

><p>"General Ichimaru?" The man spoken to raised his head with a slight hum, his usual smile fixed on his face. His lips twitched slightly as he recognized the person talking to him and turned back to his work.<p>

"Yes, what is it Ulquiorra? You're already up and about I see." The young man discarded the remark without the slightest of flinch, his eyes staring blankly at the general's back who had just a day ago whipped him so badly his back was still bleeding. Underneath his uniform his slim upper body was covered in bandages that were probably already soaking through.

"Head captain Aizen wishes to see you immediately in his chambers" he said to Gin and felt a strange satisfaction seeing the general's shoulders suddenly tense, if only for a split second. But Ulquiorra had always been good at noticing the small details.

"Oh really, how lovely. Did he say what it was about?" Gin asked, twirling around to face Ulquiorra. The young man shrugged though he could feel how the gesture made his bandages tighten.

"No, he only said it was urgent." Gin hummed again and tilted his head to the side as he stepped over to Ulquiorra. He placed his hand on the young man's shoulder, sliding his fingers behind his back and massaged his skin. Ulquiorra's jaw clenched tightly as the general prodded on his assaulted skin but that was the only reaction he gave. Gin seemed somewhat disappointed and drew his hand back.

"Well I suppose I best get going then" he said lamely and walked past Ulquiorra, exiting the study and leaving the young man alone. Ulquiorra waited for his footsteps to go away before walking to the desk and seeing what Gin had been looking at. He traced his finger across the papers scattered on the desk, his eyes skipping from line to line. When he was done he quietly exited the room, making sure the door was locked behind him. Ulquiorra headed back towards his personal quarters, he could feel blood trickling down his shoulder and didn't want to ruin yet another uniform. Before he got to corridor that led to his room, he could hear someone walking up behind him. He stopped, his hands shoved deep into his pockets.

"What is it, Yammy?" he asked in an almost bored tone. The large man was so predictable, his movements slow and sluggish even though he tried to be stealthy. Yammy let out a low chuckle as he walked right behind Ulquiorra, his huge form looming over the smaller man in the empty hallway.

"Just thought to check up on you, Ulquiorra. I'm surprised you're still walking after that beating Ichimaru gave you."

"It was nothing I couldn't handle. But I highly doubt your legitimate concern for my wellbeing." Ulquiorra turned sideways to Yammy, having to tilt his head back so he could look the man in the eye.

"What the real reason for you pestering me?" Yammy smirked at Ulquiorra and his hand shot out to grab the young man's shoulder, raising him up from the floor. Ulquiorra's feet dangled in the air as Yammy's hand crushed his shoulder, making his wounds bleed even more.

"I've been waiting for this for long, Ulquiorra. A chance to shut your cocky little mouth for good" the man snarled at Ulquiorra, his other hand reaching for his sword. Ulquiorra's face betrayed no fear, but his brain counted the ways with which he would make it out from this unfortunate situation. To him this was merely a pointless delay, though he could feel that his strength wasn't at its peak due to the injuries he had sustained in Gin's handling. Yammy could then maybe overcome him in physical strength, though his mental capabilities were still almost pitiful compared to his.

Yammy drew out his sword and Ulquiorra was slightly impressed by the fact that Yammy seemed to be determined to just kill him instead of taking his time and babbling on about revenge before actually doing something. _Well, he was never good with words anyway so maybe it's only fitting that he doesn't embarrass himself again. _Ulquiorra flexed his feet so he could either block the hit or kick Yammy's elbow so the man would drop him.

"Rot in hell, Ulquiorra" Yammy bid him as he slashed down with his sword. Ulquiorra didn't have time to perform either of his maneuvers as something else blocked the sword, the sound of steel clanking against steel echoed in the hallway. Yammy swore loudly and profusely as he suddenly dropped Ulquiorra to the ground and took few steps back, throwing a quick look at his now bleeding sword arm. Ulquiorra looked at his savior and cursed his rotten luck. _As if he hasn't made my life unbearable enough already. _

"Grimmjow" Yammy hissed at the blue-haired general standing beside Ulquiorra, his sword glistening from the man's blood.

"I'm not sure whether I should feel sorry for you or laugh at you, Yammy. Trying to off your fellow general in plain daylight? Kinda stupid, even for you" Grimmjow sneered, flicking his sword so that blood spattered on the white walls. Yammy spat on the ground, flexing his wounded arm carefully.

"Besides, Ulqui here could easily whoop your ass with his hands tied behind his back." _Then why the hell did you have to interfere, you ape, _Ulquiorra sighed inwardly. He turned to leave when Grimmjow's arm suddenly blocked his path.

"You still got something you wanna say, Yammy? I don't really feel like talking but I guess I could give it a try if you want to tell me how you were going to explain this to Aizen. I'm sure it would be a fucking giggle." Yammy was seething, but he knew when he was defeated.

"This isn't over Ulquiorra. And once I'm done with him, I'm coming after you, Grimmjow." The loudmouthed general merely laughed, spinning his sword in a large circle.

"Can't wait." Yammy stared at the two generals for few seconds more before stomping away, cursing under his breath and swearing pointless revenge.

"Hah!" Grimmjow barked and slipped his sword back to his belt as he turned to Ulquiorra. He could see blood already soaking through his white uniform, making it stick to his back.

"Oi" he said, pointing at the young man's back, "you're bleeding." Ulquiorra didn't bother answering, his blank stare spelled out how much he appreciated Grimmjow's remark. As he started to again walk to his personal quarters, he could hear Grimmjow's footsteps following right behind him. He ignored the man, thinking maybe he'd grow bored and leave him alone on his own. But as he came to the door leading to his room, Grimmjow walked to his side and leaned his shoulder against the door frame. The man's steely eyes were following Ulquiorra's every move, and despite how he tried to ignore it, Ulquiorra couldn't deny it made feel self- conscious. Him, of all people.

"What do you want Grimmjow?" Ulquiorra asked before opening the door. The general raised an eyebrow at him as if the question was self- explanatory.

"This is what I get for saving your scrawny little ass? Talk about being ungrateful" Grimmjow scoffed at him.

"You said it yourself, I could've handled him on my own."

"I know what I said."

"If you meant it, why did you interfere?" Grimmjow made a face as if Ulquiorra had asked him if a fish could swim.

"Now we're even. You saved my ass, I saved yours."

"I don't recall saving you as of late."

"Well, then you're still in my debt since you just got your own ass whooped too and I still got the hang for it."

"You wouldn't have if you had just kept your big mouth shut" Ulquiorra said and pushed the door open. He thought the discussion was over but Grimmjow persistently followed him inside.

"Okay, then we're even since I saved you even though you didn't need it and you got your ass spanked and so did I."

"That's probably the most flawed logic I have heard. And with Yammy hanging around, that's saying something." Ulquiorra carefully peeled off the top of his uniform, wincing slightly as the coarse fabric tore from his bloodied skin. Grimmjow watched the young man's struggle for a moment and then stepped closer.

"Here, let me." Ulquiorra froze as Grimmjow's fingers brushed over his back and whipped around, squeezing the uniform in his fists.

"Don't!" he shouted before he realized he had reacted much too quickly. Grimmjow flinched and stepped back, his face crunched into a deep frown.

"Fine, just trying to help out" he huffed and walked to Ulquiorra's bed, lining his tall form on it as Ulquiorra slowly turned his back to him and started to unwrap his blood-soaked bandages.

"Wouldn't have guessed you were so jumpy" Grimmjow remarked at him from the bed. Ulquiorra was silent, focusing his energy on trying to act calm and replacing the bandages. He could feel Grimmjow's eyes boring to his back, it made his every movement feel clumsy and awkward. He hated Grimmjow for it, for being here, for being himself, for trying to help. He hated himself for even caring.

"Those look kinda bad" Grimmjow continued his idle chatting. Ulquiorra rolled his eyes at the wall he was facing.

"Why do you always feel necessary to point out the obvious?" he asked as he carefully rolled off the bandage covering his abdomen.

"Just trying to make a conversation."

"Why?" Grimmjow was stumped for a second, then groaned and rolled onto his stomach on the bed, his back hurt too.

"Fine, let's be quiet then."

"Thank you."

To Ulquiorra's surprise, Grimmjow actually stayed silent for a good while as he finally managed to replace all the bandages. He was just wrapping one around his shoulder when he heard the bed creak under Grimmjow's weight and threw a quick glance at him over his shoulder. The man was stripping off his clothes, he had already loosened his belt and was now making quick work of his robes.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"What does it look like?" Ulquiorra bit his tongue before answering.

"With you, I can never tell." Grimmjow scoffed as he managed to shrug off his robe and flung it to the floor, now only wearing his underwear as he still half-sat, half- lied on Ulquiorra's bed.

"Figured you could bandage me too, you seem to have the hang of it." Ulquiorra glanced at the robe Grimmjow had thrown to the floor, it was soaked with blood. He wondered how he hadn't noticed it before.

"I've already ruined two uniforms, and I don't feel like running around naked" Grimmjow added as he noticed Ulquiorra staring at his bloodied robes, "so, how about it?"

"Why don't do it yourself?"

"Tsk, too much bother really. But these ones just don't stop bleeding, the fuckers." Every rational fiber in Ulquiorra's body, which was pretty much every single one, was screaming to kick this insolent, obnoxious man out of his room. That's why he was near mortified as he felt himself nodding and walking to his dresser to get more bandages. Grimmjow's face split into a smug grin as he shuffled himself to the edge of the bed, as if having Ulquiorra tend to his wounds was something he looked forward to.

Ulquiorra felt as if he was having an out-of-body experience as he walked to the bed, his hands filled with bandages. Grimmjow straightened his arm to him, and the younger general could now clearly see the deep lacerations where the whip had bit into his skin. The gruesome sight didn't faze him, it was something else that made his resolve crackle. He carefully started to wrap the bandage on Grimmjow's arm, minding that he didn't touch the man's skin anymore than was absolutely necessary. Grimmjow's eyes followed every move of Ulquiorra's delicate hands, seemingly ignorant of the worrying effect he had on the young general.

"Where did you learn this?" he asked just as Ulquiorra had hoped the man would be able to stay silent longer than a minute.

"I've had plenty of practice." Grimmjow arched an eyebrow at him, looking more curious than derisive.

"I've never seen you cut down. By anyone."

"I was young and inexperienced, I have my fair share of scars."

"Oh yeah? Where?" Ulquiorra gave Grimmjow a cold look from under his black hair that was hanging over his eyes.

"Why do you care?" Grimmjow shrugged, the sudden movement made Ulquiorra's hand press flat against the man's shoulder. The young man drew his hand immediately back, flexing his fingers as if he had burned them. _Stupid idiot, _he scolded though he wasn't sure who he meant. He gestured Grimmjow to turn his back to him so he could tend to the wounds on the man's back. Grimmjow obliged and Ulquiorra was suddenly glad the man couldn't see his face, some of the deeper wounds looked as if they were already getting infected.

"Have you cleaned these at all?" Grimmjow shrugged again and Ulquiorra wondered why he even asked, of course Grimmjow would do no such thing.

"They're getting infected, I need to clean them before I do anything else" he noted and walked back to his dresser, rummaging quickly through his personal belongings. Grimmjow was sitting cross-legged on the bed, lolling his head from side to side as his eyes scanned the room.

"Not very cozy in here" he remarked to Ulquiorra who was trying to remember where he had stored his antiseptic liquid.

"Doesn't have to be" the young man replied as he finally found the right bottle. He glanced at Grimmjow's bloodied back over his shoulder and poured a generous amount of the liquid into a piece of cotton.

"This might sting a bit" he warned the older general as he walked back to him. Before Grimmjow uttered a sneering respond, Ulquiorra pressed the soaked cotton into his skin and immediately felt the man's body tensing. Grimmjow's hands balled into tight fists and he drew in a long breath from between his clenched teeth.

"Fucking…" the man managed to wheeze as Ulquiorra cleaned his wounds thoroughly.

"Told you."

"That doesn't sting, that fucking burns" Grimmjow growled.

"Should've guessed you couldn't take it." Ulquiorra felt Grimmjow's anger starting to rise and a part of him felt happy, it was much easier to have Grimmjow hate him than anything else. Hate was simple, this strange camaraderie was something he couldn't understand or handle with dignity. But then suddenly Grimmjow just laughed, almost leaning into Ulquiorra's touch.

"Kinda like the old days, eh? Remember that?" Ulquiorra could've stabbed the man to death right then and there. _You just had to go there, you imbecile. _

"No."

"Pfft, don't give me that shit. You remember everything." Ulquiorra stayed quiet, trying to block out the man's voice and get this thing over with as fast as possible.

"Like that one time we we're sparring with that bastard Nnoitra and you sent him flying to the wall, half of the building almost came down. I laughed my fucking ass off" Grimmjow continued despite Ulquiorra's silence, a low chuckle resonating in his chest.

"Then Szayel tried all that weird shit on me and I punched his lights out. I'd like to do that again."

"Of course you would" Ulquiorra scoffed under his breath, "shouldn't you concentrate on our real enemies instead of wanting to kill our own soldiers?"

"Nah, they're too weak. If I wanna have fun, I'd need to fight with the generals and they're not coming until shit gets real. I'm tired of waiting."

"Considering your men lost to a bunch of footmen and one general, I'd say you need to wait a little longer." Grimmjow's head whipped around and he glared at Ulquiorra.

"You wanna start something, Ulquiorra?"

"I wouldn't threaten a man who has his hands around your neck and no qualms whatsoever about killing you in a second." Grimmjow's glare lasted for few seconds more but then he cracked up and just laughed again, flexing the muscles in his back by rolling his shoulders. Ulquiorra's eyes traced the movements of skin and muscle.

"I'll beat you someday, you can bet on it. When this whole war shit is over, your skinny ass is mine."

"Is that why you helped me, so that you'd be the one to kill me?" Grimmjow snorted, his body heaving again.

"Maybe. And maybe you only defended me to make me look weak, like I couldn't handle things on my own. Whatever it is, we're still even."

"Does that mean you will stop pestering me?" Grimmjow gave Ulquiorra a gleeful look over his shoulder and the young man had to hold himself back so he wouldn't punch that stupid smirk off his face.

"Nah. You have to do lot better than that to get me off your back" Grimmjow said and turned his head back, "you're much too fun to be left alone." Ulquiorra sighed inwardly as he nudged Grimmjow's arms so he would lift them, enabling him to wrap the bandages over the man's torso. _Should've known the gods were against me. If I'd known this would be the way to pay for my sins, I would've killed myself ages ago._

* * *

><p>A dark figure was leaping across the sharp-edged mountain rage, barely touching the ground. Shiro was getting out of breath, something he couldn't even recall happening in a <em>long<em> time. He knew pushing himself on the edge at this stage was stupid, he should've been saving his energy for the upcoming fight and not waste it all on this chase. But he couldn't make himself slow down, his feet were just a blur as he skirted among the rocks, his robes were getting slashed by the sharp edges as he squeezed through the narrowest passes. He could feel blood sticking his clothes to his skin but couldn't feel the stinging pain, adrenaline was rushing through his body and making everything feel clear and muffled at the same time. He knew he had to catch up with Aizen's minions before they entered the capitol, once inside it would be suicide to go after them on Aizen's own turf.

Shiro had promised himself if that happened he would give up and return to the main camp to get reinforcements, like a soldier should do. But he knew it was an empty promise, he'd rather kill himself than leave Ichigo in Aizen's grasp. He had been there himself and knew exactly what would happen the second Aizen laid his eyes on his half-brother. Shiro didn't want to think about it and pushed himself bit further, he couldn't even feel his legs anymore. Memories started to flood into his brain nevertheless, and Shiro screwed his eyes shut as if the clear his head from the bloodsoaked images filled with screams. _Not this time. If I can'f fucking save myself, I can at least give him the chance to make it out in one piece. And with a sound mind. _

Shiro scoffed at himself, he had known when he left that it was more likely for the world to stop turning than for him to come back alive. _A textbook example of a suicide mission. But I guess I can justify it since I'm not doing this for myself. For once. _A grim smile appeared on Shiro's face as he dashed across the mountain range. _But that doesn't mean I can't enjoy myself while doing it. __  
><em>

* * *

><p><em>Ah, I like writing Grimmjow and Ulquiorra in this universe. I have actually already written what will happen to them by the end of this story, it's all very exciting. I wonder if anyone can guess what I have planned out for them, it's all shrouded in mystery! (Okay, it's quite plain obvious really but still.) I just can't wait till I get to that point with the whole story, I had a real epic final battle planned out but I think I will have to tone it down a notch. It should be alright though, but probably won't include every single character in the universe, it would get bit too crowded and I want the main focus be on the main characters. I'd like to include everyone since I love all the characters but it would take so much time to set everything up I doubt I'd have the patience. We'll see. <em>


	12. Chapter 12

_**Still going quite strong with this, I'm amazed. The pace has kicked up more than I would've thought but that happens when you don't really plan on anything. But the big finish is not near yet, don't worry, I'll have a go at making it as epic as I can since I already have little bit of it done. It should be fun to write, looking forward to it.**_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12. <em>When facing it alone<em>_  
><em>**

Ichigo was dozing off in the very uncomfortable corner of their small cage. His whole body ached, not only from the beating they had received prior to their imprisonment but from the extremely unnatural position he had to sit in order to fit inside the cage. Beside him Uryuu was sound asleep, leaning heavily against Chad who was still unconscious. Ichigo could only imagine how sore the taller man would be once he woke up. The cage swayed again, almost making Ichigo tumble head first into the opposite wall. He swore under his breath as he tried to find the most tolerable position that didn't cut off all the circulation from his legs.

_Fucking useless piece of shit, _Ichigo sighed as he twisted his knees painfully, _that's all you are. That's all you've been from the beginning. Even Ishida is more useful than you, with all his weird potions and bombs and whatever. You're just waste of space. _Ichigo lowered his head, his nails biting into palms. His teeth grated together as his mind kept sneering at how useless he was, how he would be better off dead with the rest of their fellow soldiers. _I couldn't do anything, couldn't save anyone... Couldn't hold my own against anyone. _The image of Shiro stepping between him and that crazy bloodthirsty general popped into his head. _I wish I could be like him…He's saved me twice already, like I'm some helpless baby. _

Ichigo groaned as his eyes screwed shut, the blame hurt physically, like a weight pressing down on him. His eyes stung but he refused to cry. _This is pathetic enough as it is…Crying like a baby would just top it all. _Suddenly the cage jerked again and Ichigo heard the engine slowing down. He strained his hearing and heard muffled voices speaking but couldn't make out the words.

The jeep's engine revved up again and they were on the move, but Ichigo could swear they were moving on a smoother terrain, the cage didn't toss around as much as before. In the distance he could swear he could hear other sounds now, like a crowd of people moving around. _Maybe we've reached the capital, _he figured and his heart sank, though he hadn't even been aware that he had actually hoped someone would save them. _They don't probably care, _Ichigo realized, remembering Shiro's words of their suicide mission. _Nobody's coming. We're on our own, even if they'd keep us as hostages no one will even try to come and save us. _

Ichigo gently nudged Uryuu on his side.

"Hey Ishida, wake up. I think we're here." The young man moaned quietly before opening his eyes, staring blankly at Ichigo.

"Where is here?" he asked groggily, trying to stretch his legs and winced as blood started to rush back down to his extremities. Ichigo shrugged, leaning his head to the wall of the cage.

"I dunno, the capital I guess. Where else would they take us?"

"I heard Aizen has some smaller bases all around the desert, just in case someone decides to try and escape through the desert" Uryuu mumbled, rubbing his eyes, "could be one of those."

"Why would they take us there?"

"I don't know Ichigo, I've lost my sense of time so I have no idea how long we've been travelling and at what speed. We could be anywhere." The engine's sound suddenly stopped and they weren't moving anymore. Ichigo exhaled slowly and flexed his arms.

"I think we'll find out soon enough."

The back door of the jeep opened and sharp light blinded the prisoners. The door of the cage swung open and someone pulled the shackle they were chained to, making Chad tumble to the ground and effectively wake him up.

"Get up" someone ordered in a harsh tone, delivering a kick between Chad's ribs. The young man didn't make a sound as he struggled to get to his feet, standing a good foot taller than their captors. The man who had kicked him backed off a step, but then someone shoved him to the side and grabbed hold of Chad's hair, twisting it so hard the young man's knees buckled under him.

"One move, one look, and you're all dead. Got that?" Ichigo grimaced and made a move to step between the men but Uryuu shoved him back with his shoulder.

"You're not helping" he hissed at Ichigo, "just wait."

"For what?" Ichigo hushed back, his eyes darting between Chad and the man towering over him. Suddenly Ichigo remembered him to be the one who had cut down Yoruichi, the lanky man with the crazy laughter and that ridiculously huge halberd he had fought with. A shiver ran through Ichigo's spine just from the thought of it. The man let Chad go, almost making him fall to his knees.

"You two, out" the man snapped at them and waved at some underling of his to drag them out. Ichigo tried to support Uryuu as the young man stumbled out, seeing nothing without his glasses.

"Move it!" Uryuu fell to the ground, Ichigo falling heavily on top him as the chains snapped tight around his ankles.

"On your feet, you little pieces of shit." Chad slowly got up and pulled on the chain to help Uryuu and Ichigo to their feet.

"Sorry" Ichigo murmured to Uryuu as the young man tried to catch his breath after the fall had knocked the air out of his lungs. A sharp slap across Ichigo's face made his vision go black for few seconds before the pain struck and made him clench his teeth together.

"No talking" one of the guards elaborated as they were dragged away from the car. They had to walk in steady rhythm in order not to fall down again, the chain was short and heavy and made moving quite painful. Ichigo's eyes finally started to get used to the sunlight and he looked around to observe their new environment. High stone walls surrounded them, continuing far into the distance. The ground soon turned from sand into cobbled streets as they walked past the military barracks filled with soldiers. They received laughing glares as they were paraded through the barracks, Ichigo tried to keep his head high and answer to the looks defiantly, though the effect was hindered by his spastic walking as the chain kept tugging his feet and hands.

"Keep your head down, Kurosaki" Uryuu muttered to him, trying to speak without moving his lips. Ichigo didn't answer, taking heed of his friend's advice. He focused on memorizing their surroundings for later. Everywhere he looked he saw just soldiers and ugly, straight-lined buildings, masonries, weapon smiths, stables, garages. Slowly the buildings changed into older, more traditional style with archways and dimly lit long corridors and open courtyards. Ichigo was reminded of the houses in his hometown, though in a smaller scale. His home had been similar to these ones, with curved archways and warmly coloured sandstone walls. It was cool during the summer, even in the hottest of days the rock stayed cold. He could remember the feel of the coarse surface under his fingers.

The chain jerked Ichigo almost to his knees as Uryuu suddenly stumbled, Chad had stopped without a warning. Ichigo regained his balance and kept the chain tight so Uryuu could find his footing again.

"Stand up straight!" someone shouted at them and Ichigo felt someone slap him on the back of his head. He barely swallowed the bitter words on his tongue and raised his eyes from the ground, staring straight ahead without really seeing anything. He heard light footsteps as someone new came towards them and could almost sense the guards get nervous, they shifted on their places and shuffled their feet, trying to avoid looking at the person coming towards them. Ichigo became curious and tried to peek a look over Uryuu's shoulder but Chad's wide back blocked his vision.

"My my, what do we have here?" he heard a light, slightly lilting voice ask, "Looks like there is someone in this army who's able to accomplish their missions accordingly."

"General Ichimaru" Ichigo heard the lanky man say, though it sounded more as if he had just spat the name out of his mouth, "where's the head captain, he was supposed to come see these prisoners personally."

"Oh, Aizen is busy chatting with the general herself, these children seem hardly worth his time." The earth shook a little as the general let his halberd fall down.

"Then why the hell did we have to drag these little shits all the way here?" The other general glanced at the three prisoners standing in line, battered and bruised. Then his eyes caught the sight of bright orange hair. Gin waltzed over to Ichigo and grabbed hold of the young man's chin, turning his face to him. He was faced with bright brown eyes staring at him, but he could see fear in that look. Something he was used to seeing but not from this face.

"My my" Gin repeated in a softer tone than before, "who do we have here?" Ichigo jerked his head back but despite his slim figure the general's grip was like being held by a vice.

"Oh, so there is a little fight in you" the general chuckled, "good. You're gonna need that." Gin let go of Ichigo but kept his eyes on him, that disturbingly creepy static smile plastered on his face. He turned to Nnoitra who had followed the exchange with some curiosity.

"You know, why don't you put these two in the cells in the cellars, but bring that last one to holding cell right next to my personal quarters, I'll deal with him myself."

"So we'll just leave these two in the cell?" Nnoitra asked, nodding towards Chad and Uryuu.

"Yes, for now. I'll go have a look at them later, once Aizen has given his orders. Go on, chop chop!" Gin clapped his hands together, earning a deadly glare from Nnoitra as he walked over to Ichigo, taking off his chains and shoving the young man back so the guard behind him could wring his arms behind his back. Ichigo bit down on his teeth so he wouldn't moan from pain.

"You heard the orders, take him to the holding cell. And the rest to the cellars, move it!" The guards quickly dragged Chad and Uryuu away, leaving Ichigo and his keeper with Nnoitra. Gin was already walking towards his own quarters and Nnoitra gave the guard holding Ichigo a swift kick on his shin.

"Are you deaf or just plain stupid? Move it!" The guard shoved Ichigo forward, still holding both his hands behind his back. The young man tottered forward, following the thin general as he hopped along the cobbled corridors. Ichigo had a suspicion the man was somehow even more dangerous than that crazy general who had slaughtered young men like cattle, all the guards seemed to fear him for some reason.

Finally they came to pair of large wooden doors which Gin opened swiftly and gestured for the guard to lead Ichigo inside. The young man was pushed inside so hard he fell to his knees, hands clasping on the hard stone floor to stop his fall.

"You can go now" he heard Gin say to the guard and then the door was slammed shut, all light went out from the room. Ichigo froze as he tried to scramble up to his feet, suddenly he couldn't hear anything but he could almost surely feel the general's eyes on him. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up and cold sweat ran down his back.

Ichigo heard the soft sound of fabric chaffing and then he saw pair of legs in front of him. Gin crouched down to Ichigo's level, tilting his head back by pressing his index finger on the young man's forehead. His slanted eyes cracked slightly open, staring at Ichigo with such intensity he wanted nothing more but to look away. Ichigo didn't know exactly why he suddenly felt more terrified than ever before, there was something in those eyes that was more frightening than Nnoitra's maniacal laughter or Grimmjow's bloodthirsty grin.

"Why, won't you look at that" Gin uttered slowly, dropping every word carefully from his lips, "it's like looking at a mirror image, only in color."

"What are you talking about?" Ichigo managed to wheeze out, it felt like the man's sheer presence sucked out all the air from the room. Gin chuckled softly, reaching his other hand to trace the lines of Ichigo's cheekbones.

"Oh I think you know _who _I'm talking about" the man replied, "I think you know very well." Gin tilted his head slightly to the side, his grin widening so that it almost reached his ears.

"How is our little Shiro doing these days?"

* * *

><p>"Fuck!" Shirosaki swore as he saw the jeeps drive into the capital and the gates close behind them. He slid down the dune's side, rolling to his back as he continued cursing his bad luck. He had caught up with Aizen's troops just little too late, they had already arrived too close to the capital for him to make his move without the guards at the walls noticing it. More troops would've swarmed in on him before he could've even reached the prisoners, let alone try something.<p>

"Fuck" Shiro muttered again, pressing his hands on his face as he tried to think of his next move. He tried to figure out where they would've taken all the prisoners, most likely they would've separated Yoruichi from the young soldiers and thrown them into the prison cells in the cellars. Aizen was probably interrogating Yoruichi himself, or making Tousen do it as he watched. Shiro shuddered at the thought of that blind, intensely cruel man forcing Yoruichi into talking. Yoruichi was the toughest woman he knew but Shiro doubted even she could last long in Tousen's hands.

_I have to get in. It's the only way they even have a chance, _Shiro thought, his hands lopping to his sides. _I might be able to shift their attention to myself long enough to get them out. If I can just free Yoruichi, she might be able to get the boys out as I distract Aizen and the rest. Providing he's still interested in me. _Shiro jumped back to his feet, gazing back to the capital looming ahead. He let out a resigned sigh as he pushed his hood back, letting his hair fall out. _If this seemed hopeless before, now it's certain. _

Shiro craned his head back and stared at the open sky, to his surprise there were few dark clouds in the horizon. _Maybe the rain season is finally coming…No, there hasn't been rain in these parts for years. _Shiro could faintly remember the last time he had seen rain, he had been ten years old back then. If he strained his memory he could just remember the smell of rain and how the desert had suddenly burst into life overnight. It had been the most beautiful thing he over saw. _But well, with my track record that doesn't really say that much. _

Shiro ran his hands through his hair before tucking it back in and pulling his hood up. He slid down the dune, somersaulting the last few meters before landing on his feet at the bottom of the small hill. He wrecked his brain for all the secret passageways inside the capital's walls. It had been long since his last visit but he figured he still knew some routes that weren't in the public knowledge. Now if he could just make it to the walls without getting noticed. Wearing such distinct clothing didn't always work to his favor during the daytime, he was more pliable to darkness and shadows than running around in the bright daylight. But he couldn't risk waiting for the nightfall, for all he knew Aizen could've ordered the prisoners to be executed immediately. He had very little patience for people he considered useless.

Shiro again shuddered at the memories he had thought long since forgotten as he skulked closer to the capital, skirting between the high dunes to make his way to the eastern wall. If things hadn't changed, there weren't so many guards at that side of the capital. Mainly because the ground had years ago been a minefield and anyone stupid enough to try and breach the walls from that side would be blown into pieces way before they could make it even close. _Well, almost anyone, _Shiro thought as another not so fond memory popped into his head. He remembered being made to walk across the minefield, in order to heighten his senses and hone his abilities to the maximum. It had worked, no doubt about that but Shiro wasn't so sure if the results really justified the means in this case.

Shiro let his feet take control over him, trusting them to remember the way back better than his brain. He let his mind wander, more and more images from the past flooding to his head as the familiar scenery took him in. He had vowed not to come back here unless it was to kill Aizen and every single one of his accomplices but that personal vendetta had to be pushed back for the moment. He couldn't let it get in the way of rescuing Ichigo and the others, it would have to wait till a better opportunity. _But who knows, maybe I'll get my chance after all. _Shiro chuckled as he thought of the shouting he'd get from Yoruichi if she got a whiff of his intentions, she'd probably kill him herself just to make sure he wouldn't do anything that stupid.

He was already nearing the old minefield, now slowing down and carefully assessing the terrain before him. Shiro peered at the high walls but saw no one there, the closest guard was at the watchtower at the corner of the walls. Plus all the guards were probably so bored they would be wasting time playing guards or napping instead of keeping watch, no one had attacked the capital itself in over a decade. The last time had been just over ten years ago, right after the civil war had begun and Aizen had taken control over the country. Kisuke had made a bold attempt with his most trusted man Tessai Tsukabishi to infiltrate the capital just before Aizen had enough time to assemble his troops after the mutiny. Shiro wasn't sure how much of it had been sheer good luck but Kisuke had succeeded, and rescued him. For that, he would be in the general's debt as long as he lived. But lately it seemed something had changed, there had been a strange shift in the way things were handled. Kisuke was getting desperate. Desperate and mostly tired.

Shiro scoffed as he crouched down, drawing circles into the sand. He could understand Kisuke's blight but he didn't sympathize with him. The man had known exactly what he was getting into the second he had decided to do the right thing and oppose to Aizen. Kisuke had made personal sacrifices as well but he had no idea what it was to be one of those sacrifices. Shiro hummed quietly to himself as he pushed his hood back and slowly started to take off his robes, revealing inches of his pale white skin until he was naked. His scimitar still hung to the belt he wore under his robe, but he took it off as well and with some adjusting tied the belt over his shoulder so he could carry the weapon on his back. Shiro stared at his dark blue robe in his hands, there was no way he could carry it with him without being noticed. With another sigh he discarded the cloth, shaking his head slightly as he thought of the lengths he was going to.

The sands of the deserts were mere shades darker than his skin, if he moved into the shadow of the wall he'd be practically invisible. And with a little help from his unique abilities, he would be able to scramble across the minefield virtually undetected, unless someone knew what they were looking for. Shiro had grown to be somewhat impartial to his own body, the multiple scars criss- crossing his skin were a reminder of the past distresses he had gone through during his relatively short life. When one was so often subjected to physical abuse and suffering it was easier to shut it all out and think of the body as something not entirely one's own, it was mere a vessel of some kind that tied people to this material plane of existence.

Shiro had been so young when his toils had begun it had been relatively easy to conjure up means of survival which would've been near impossible for an adult mind to make, but paired with his unique abilities, separating his self from his body had been almost instinctive once the pain had reached a certain point. Shiro had learned very early that even if he was too weak to resist the physical punishments he was subjected to, he could still keep his mind and soul untouched. But despite that, he hadn't come out of it completely unharmed. He knew it better than anyone else.

Shiro closed his eyes as he took his first slightly hesitant step ahead. He could almost feel the mines buried underground vibrating as he walked so lightly he barely touched the ground. After Kisuke had recruited him into the rebel army, he had asked Shiro about his 'training' as it was called and what Aizen had told him. Shiro could've seen that Kisuke had known of his otherworldly abilities, after all he had conducted the experiments himself, but even he only had a vague idea of how far they had actually gone or how well they had succeeded.

Shiro wasn't sure of Kisuke's initial goals or motives but he was pretty sure this hadn't exactly been what the scientist had expected. Kisuke had continued teaching him to hone his abilities to the peak, but advised him to keep most of them well under wraps, only to be used as a last resort in desperate situations. Shiro could tell Kisuke was disturbed by his own creation and sometimes thought Kisuke regretted not aborting the experiment when he still had the chance. Now Shiro was a walking and talking reminder of his foolhardy arrogance and he had no idea what to think of it. On one hand he was proud and amazed that he had been able to create someone or something like Shiro but on the other playing god had cost him a huge price. And having Shiro around, amazing or not, might not have been worth it.

Shiro had already made it halfway to the wall across the minefield, the shadow of the wall fell upon him and made his skin shiver. He glanced up at the top of the wall but the guards were still occupied somewhere else, luckily for him. Shiro looked back down to the ground and inhaled slowly as he moved his feet forward, inch by inch. The flashbacks from his childhood kept replaying in his head, making him smile mirthlessly. It was hard to believe that scared, scrawny little kid with wide eyes had been him just little over ten years ago. _But how much has really changed, besides me becoming a cynical bastard, _Shiro sneered at himself as he scuttled forward. _Though who can blame me, I'm basically Kisuke's vanity project, and everyone around me keeps dying. I don't fit in anywhere. Ichigo is the closest thing I got left of a family, and even he doesn't fucking remember me! _

Shiro had to stop and calm himself down before he went on, getting angry made him careless, he was well aware of that. Every single one of his trainers had pointed it out to him again and again, trying to make him control his temper better so he wouldn't lose his focus so easily. Finally Yoruichi had given up and instead concentrated on teaching him how to use that feeling and channel it effectively so it wouldn't blind him but instead make him see more clearly. But it was still very easy to slip out of control and just give into his instincts, and more than often it was enough. But now Shiro was moving on such thin ice he couldn't afford to just swing around haphazardly, he couldn't make any mistakes. One careless slip and he could blow himself into smithereens, and then there would be no one to save Ichigo and his friends. _Focus, you idiot! _Shiro snarled at himself as he moved his right foot forward and suddenly felt a horrifying little stump hit his toes. _Fucking…_

Shiro had few seconds to think of a new strategy that wouldn't include him blowing off his leg. He glanced at the wall ahead, it was still good sixty feet away and even he couldn't make that jump. If he jumped, he'd most likely land on another mine and cause a chain reaction that would make the whole area around him explode. _Shit buggering cocksucker, _Shiro sighed inwardly as he thought of the situation he was in, right next to the base of his enemies, naked, in a minefield ready to blow.

"Fuck a duck" Shiro muttered as he pressed his knuckles to his forehead. _Maybe this would be one of those moments when I could resort into those desperate measures._

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><p>Grimmjow had just left Ulquiorra's room, flexing his arm to see if he could still move it effortlessly despite the tight bandages the young general had tied around it. <em>Seems alright, <em>he thought. Suddenly the earth under his feet started to shake, the little rocks jumping on the ground. Grimmjow frowned and then a massive explosion sounded from the eastern walls. Grimmjow ran to the nearest clearing and climbed to the roof of a building, peering to the direction of the explosion. At the eastern wall he could see a huge cloud of smoke and dust rising up, and the explosions kept coming like in a chain reaction. Grimmjow's face split into that familiar grin as a low laugh rumbled from his chest. _'Bout time he showed up. _

Grimmjow slid down from the roof and started to run towards the eastern wall, foot soldiers all around kept bumping into each other in confusion.

"What is happening, Grimmjow sir?" one of them shouted after him as he ran past them. He didn't bother answering but the look on his face gave away enough for the soldier to realize something big was afoot. When Grimmjow looked that happy, someone was going to pay for it.


	13. Chapter 13

**Sorry for the break, reasons being busy schedule and general lack of inspiration and interest. Of course the second I state that this story is going well I lose all interest to it. Figures. Hope it'll get better now.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 13. <em>Hold on hope<em>**

"Motherfucker..." Yoruichi groaned as she tried to raise herself up from the floor. Her wrists were chained into the wall as were her feet, the cold stones were making her back stiffen. Her uniform was tattered, just barely hanging onto her slim frame. Blood was clotted on her hair and skin from the fight and the "talk" she had had with Aizen. Everything hurt and her head still felt dizzy.

Yoruichi closed her eyes and tried to breathe slowly to gather her thoughts. _It's okay, it's gonna be okay, _she tried to convince herself but with little success. She cursed her own stupidity that had cost them so many lives and most likely her own as well. _But…Why? Why am I still alive, why did they take Ichigo and the others as well? Why did they attack again, they weren't just guarding the pass? What the hell is going on? _Yoruichi opened her eyes and stared into the darkness. Her head was filled with images of her troops getting slaughtered like they were just cattle, their cries for their mothers echoing in the pass. She had to bite down on her teeth as her eyes started to sting.

"Shit…Shit shit shit shit shit SHIT!" Her voice somehow made the silence even more oppressing once the echo had died out. Yoruichi wrung her hands but it was futile, she could never escape these chains even if she broke her wrists. She felt powerless for the first time in decades, it made her stomach turn. Aizen's smirk popped into her head as she cursed her situation. That man made her skin crawl more than anything or anyone else she had ever come across.

Yoruichi shivered as the man's voice rang in her head. That soft, well- spoken voice laced with dread if things didn't go as he wanted them to. He hadn't even really laid a hand on her, except to brush her cheek or push away the hair from her face but those little touches had felt more frightening than being held in a vice-grip by one of his soldiers or being beaten. She could've felt the power behind those light caresses, that Aizen could've just as easily killed her with one swift twist of her neck if he wanted to.

That moment Yoruichi had sworn that she would somehow make it out of this dump of a prison cell and kick Aizen's head in no matter what it would take. She wanted to revenge her boys, her country, her countless lost friends and comrades. She knew getting even close to Aizen would require shedding gallons of blood and gore but she didn't care. She wouldn't make it out of here alive anyway, might as well go with a bang. A fleeting smile crossed her face. _Or like I said to Shiro, give 'em hell while we're at it. Oh, he'd love to go on a rampage here._

A quick thought popped into Yoruichi's head. _Shiro must've known we were taken. Maybe he's coming. _As quickly as the thought had come to her, her brain shot it down. _Even if he is coming, even he with all his weird powers couldn't make it through all these guards, or even past the walls. Hell, this place was built to last months of siege warfare, one man could never make it. Even a man like Shiro. _

Yoruichi smiled again as she reminisced her times with the troubled young man. Despite all his antics, he was a good kid underneath it all. Though sometimes she missed that scrawny little kid he had been the first time she had seen him all those years ago. Now she couldn't believe what he had become, how strong and yet somehow so vulnerable. Yoruichi remembered how the first few nights in the rebel camp Shiro hadn't been able to sleep and she had taken him to her own tent, letting him sleep next to her. After finding out what had happened to his mother Yoruichi had almost instinctively taken the role of being his main caregiver, though as they years had passed Shiro had made it abundantly clear that he didn't need or want one.

_And how the mighty have fallen, _Yoruichi thought as she returned to her current situation. _Now I'm the one who needs to be rescued and held together. Oh god, now I'm getting all weepy. Kisuke would laugh at me. _Yoruichi let out a mirthless laugh, the whole situation was making her nostalgic for some reason. _Maybe when you know you don't have that long your life doesn't flash before your eyes, it just highlights all the good stuff you're not going to do anymore once you're dead. Really nice, brain, thank you for that. _Yoruichi shook her head at the absurdity with which her mind seemed to function. _First Shiro, now Kisuke. What's next, my parents? That would be a barrel of laughs surely. _

Yoruichi let her head hang down, exhaling slowly as her limbs started to get numb and sore at the same time. _Oh Kisuke, I never thought it would end like this. I know stuff has happened but still, I always thought I'd get to die by your side, fighting with you till the end. Then I would've been happy. Not like this, hanging from a wall and just waiting to be let out of my misery. Kinda anticlimactic for a warrior. But I guess we can't all go down with guns blazing. The best I can hope for now is a quick and merciful end, though I highly doubt Aizen will grant me one. Fucking asshole. _Yoruichi raised her head up as she heard footsteps walking on the corridor outside her cell. She fought herself into an upright position and snapped her head back, even if her mind was making her act like a maiden in distress she wouldn't let her capturers know it.

The door creaked open and a faint light shone in. A dark-skinned man in white robes entered the prison cell, his eyes closed and braided hair hanging over his shoulder. Yoruichi stiffened slightly as the man walked to her, this was Aizen's second-in command, Kaname Tousen and one of the traitors from Seireitei. From what Yoruichi knew the man was also completely insane and deeply wrapped into Aizen's crazy ideals, so much so that he was ruthless and cold-blooded murderer. The man stopped a mere feet away from her, tilting his head down as if he was looking at her though Yoruichi knew he couldn't.

"General Yoruichi Shihoin, you have been summoned before the war committee to answer for your crimes before receiving your rightful judgment. Do you understand?" Yoruichi stared at the man for a second and then started to laugh, the sound bouncing from the stone walls.

"Rightful? My crimes? Spare me the bullshit, Tousen. You can pretend you're doing the right thing but I've seen your soldiers slaughtering hundreds of innocent people just because they didn't like seeing their children starve to death and tried to do something about it. So cut the act and just get me out of here before I slit my own wrists for making me wait."

Tousen's face was an unreadable stoic mask but then Yoruichi's vision went black as the man's hand connected with her face. She spat blood on the floor, a twisted smile curling her lips.

"Oh, you're a big man, aren't you? Hitting a chained woman, very righteous and brave indeed."

"Silence your insolence, you…" Yoruichi laughed at Tousen as he was lost for words.

"What, cat caught your tongue? Poor Kaname, seems you can't even talk without having Aizen's hand shoved up your ass. Is that why you walk so stiffly by the way?" Tousen hit her again, the gross sound was amplified by the stony walls.

"Spare yourself from further pain and be silent. The guards will take you to your trial" the man told her and then walked out, leaving Yoruichi to deal with this new pain searing across her face.

"Fuck" she muttered as she tried if any of her teeth had gone loose, "just what I needed right now…"

Suddenly she could feel the ground quiver under her feet and heard a loud explosion sounding from the distance. There was a short silence and then a quick succession of explosions, each one getting louder and closer. The whole building seemed to shake, Yoruichi could swear the stones in the walls were almost falling out. She could hear people running and shouting outside, it seemed this wasn't supposed to be happening. She tried to think what could've caused it. _Wait, those explosions sound like they're coming from the east…There is that old minefield, maybe someone finally blew it up. No, they couldn't do that without damaging the wall itself. _ Then again Yoruichi let her hopes take over her brain. _Shiro. It can't be anyone else, it just can't…_

Now Yoruichi noticed that the door to her cell was open, apparently the guards who were supposed to take her to Aizen had been distracted by the explosions. Yoruichi craned her neck to look at her chains and tried to free her hands again, but they were too tight. _Besides, if I break my wrists, I'll be no use to anybody. _The door seemed so close but it was still impossibly far. _Shit. I'm a sitting duck here. _Yoruichi made another effort to free herself but it was as pointless. _Of course those miracles in which the explosions conveniently make the walls of just my cell wall down don't happen in real life. _

A shadow was cast on the floor of her cell as a man appeared at the door, making Yoruichi quickly turn her attention away from her chains. To her relief Tousen hadn't come back, this time it was a mere foot soldier. His face was hidden behind his scarf but there was something familiar in his eyes. He turned at the door to look back into the corridor.

"Sado, she's here!"

"Ishida?" Yoruichi frowned as the young man quickly walked over to her, holding a assortment of keys in his hand, "how did…"

"Good timing" Uryuu replied as he looked through the keys to find the right one, "the explosions started just as we were taken to our cells so we managed to use them as a distraction and escape."

"How convenient." Just then a taller soldier appeared at the door and Yoruichi immediately recognized Sado, she wondered why he had even bothered stealing a uniform. Even wearing Aizen's soldier's uniform he stuck out like a sore thumb. Uryuu tried one key after another, with little success.

"Sado, how much time do we have?"

"I see no one for now" the young man replied.

"Good, we might just make it" Uryuu as he finally found the right key. Yoruichi groaned as she rubbed her bloodied wrists and flexed her ankles to get the feeling back into them. Uryuu was already holding out a uniform to her, which she took gratefully but instead of putting it on, she tore it to shreds and used it to bind her wounds. She could see the faint blush staining Uryuu's face but ignored it, this wasn't the time to be concerned with one's modesty.

"Right, so far so good. I doubt Aizen will be distracted for long anymore so we need to get out of here as soon as possible" Yoruichi said, instantly snapping back to her role as a leader. She noticed how Uryuu's face hardened as he too pushed his emotions back and put on his war face. _He's getting good. Though I'm not sure how proud I should be about that._

"Right, if I remember correctly there's a secret passage out of here through the better part of old town, it shouldn't be far from here. The noble families wanted their own way out of here in case the peasants got out of hand" Yoruichi told her two young soldiers. Uryuu nodded, he remembered Yoruichi's last name being mentioned in his history books. Her family had been one of the four most powerful and influential royal families during the monarchy, though she had been somewhat of a black sheep of the family. Most of the royals had immediately turned their coats and supported Aizen's rise to power, just to save their own skins. For some it had worked but others hadn't come out of it in one piece. Aizen could have a very fickle mind when it came to his subordinates.

"Okay, but we need to find Ichigo first" Sado said as they exited the prison cell, making sure no one was out in the corridor.

"Wait, he was not with you?" Yoruichi asked, a deep frown crunching her forehead in worry.

"No, they took him someplace else. This strange other general showed up and told the guards he would interrogate Ichigo himself near his personal quarters" Uryuu explained. Yoruichi could feel cold terror and anger flow through her blood.

"Strange general? A skinny man with silver hair, smiling all the time?" Uryuu nodded again, but this time he could sense the anxiety in Yoruichi's voice. Something wasn't right, he had thought so already when they had taken Ichigo away. If a man could strike fear into the hearts of his own soldiers he must have a reputation, and that usually didn't come without some actions.

"Shit" Yoruichi cursed their bad luck. _Of course it had be to just him_.

"Alright, I might know where he is, but I'll go alone. You two need to get out of here right now. Take the northern road, it should steer clear from Aizen's minions and their area. Once you come to the fancy part of town, head for the western wall, there's a small clearing with a fountain in the middle. Near that there should be a hidden way out through the wall, small stairs going underground and then outside. Once you get out, head straight back to main camp and report this to general Urahara. Keep out of sight, I think they'll be busy solving things around here before they notice you're gone." Yoruichi could see that Uryuu wanted to oppose to her order, his jaw was tight and brows furrowed but he merely nodded, a shadow falling over his face.

"Yes, sir" he responded, turning to Chad who was standing behind him. The two young men stared at each other for few long seconds before Chad also gave in and saluted Yoruichi. Uryuu turned back to Yoruichi, clearly wanting to say something but gave up the idea as the general silenced all his objections with her stern gaze. Uryuu had come to know that look during their training and knew that talking to her when she was like this would be pointless.

"See you on the other side, general" he bid to Yoruichi, making her chest swell of pride.

"Go already, if you get caught I'll kick your asses myself."The faintest of smiles flashed on Uryuu face before he turned to Chad again and soon they were both gone. Yoruichi took a moment to gather her thoughts and resolve, flexing her arms and legs. She took a quick look at the long hallway, there was no one in sight but she could hear the commotion above her. She took a moment to recall the shortest route to her destination before setting out towards it, hoping she wouldn't be too late.

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><p>"Ukitake sir, can I have a word?" The white-haired general had just finished his prayers for the dead soldiers and rose back to his feet, brushing sand from his uniform.<p>

"Yes Rukia, what is it?" he asked as he turned to his lieutenant, the young woman was slightly shaken by the sight of the funeral pile of dead soldiers behind Jyushiro's back.

"General Kyoraku told me to come get you, he needs you at the mouth of the pass." Jyushiro nodded, already walking past his lieutenant to his next destination.

"Oh yes, he must've arrived already, right on schedule as always" he said to Rukia, who frowned at the general's cryptic words.

"Sir?" she uttered as she hurried back to his side, "Who is coming? Reinforcements?"

"Oh no, nothing like that" Jyushiro said, turning his head to give Rukia a kind smile, "just a friend passing by." Rukia's frown deepened, she wasn't convinced by Jyushiro's casual explanation.

"Sir, what is going on? What are you not telling us?"

"All in good time Rukia, don't get ahead of yourself" Jyushiro said calmly as they approached the mouth of the pass where Shunsui was staring off into the distance.

"Yes sir" Rukia replied, knowing not to pursue for an answer if the general didn't want to give one, "I'll go back to my post."

"Thank you Rukia." The young woman stayed behind as Jyushiro joined his friend, trying to decipher the man's words in her head. She could sense the tension in the air and wanted to be prepared for whatever was going to happen next. Shunsui's lieutenant Nanao Ise appeared on her side, the woman was also looking at the two generals now talking to each other with their heads bowed down together.

"What do you think is going on?" Rukia asked her, usually Nanao was well in the loop of things. But this time she shook her head, this went beyond her knowledge.

"I'm not sure, the general refuses to tell me anything specific. I tried to do some digging but it seems that they haven't told anyone what they're going to do."

"Huh" Rukia muttered, looking back into the pass where they were starting to burn the bodies of the young soldiers, "maybe they don't know themselves."

"I wouldn't be surprised" Nanao scoffed, her general was widely known to be the laziest and most laid-back of all the leaders in Seireitei, but despite all his faults, hapless he was not.

"Do you think there is going to be a war between us and Aizen?" Rukia asked, earning a stern glare from her fellow lieutenant.

"Keep that kind of talk to yourself" she hissed, then glanced back at the two generals, now noticing three other people approaching from the desert, "at least for now."

"Ah yes, here they come" Shunsui announced as general Hitsugaya and his two subordinates appeared from behind a high dune. Jyushiro frowned as he noticed that two people were missing.

"Madarame and Ayasegawa are not with them" he said, "you think something is wrong?"

"We'll find out soon enough, won't we?" Shunsui replied, waving his hand to the newcomers, "Hitsugaya looks serious, doesn't he?"

"He always does" Jyushiro hemmed but quieted down as the young general came within earshot.

"Generals" the young man greeted them, his subordinates giving them a quick bow, "what is the situation?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing" Shunsui said, throwing a meaningful look at Toushiro's two subordinates, "aren't you missing two people?"

"I sent Madarame and Ayasegawa to examine some tracks we found few miles from here, they looked like they were made by something lighter than an average jeep" the young general explained. Jyushiro and Shunsui exchanged worried looks, prompting Toushiro's curiosity. Suddenly he noticed the smoke coming from the pass and could smell something foul in the air. By his side Rangiku had noticed the same and her eyes widened as she pressed her hand to her mouth. Renji's face fixed into a grim expression as he turned to look into the pass, seeing Rukia and Nanao standing further away. He could read everything from Rukia's expression and his hands rolled into fists.

"It was a slaughter, at least thirty young recruits dead" Shunsui said in a detached voice as Jyushiro lowered his head. Toushiro's mouth was a tight line but everyone could sense the young man's anger.

"It was Aizen, wasn't it" he said from between his clenched teeth, "those tracks we saw…"

"We suspect they have kidnapped general Shihoin and few soldiers with them and are taking them to the capital. For what purpose we don't know yet" Jyushiro said.

"Does general Urahara know of this?" Renji asked, his usually casual demeanor was replaced with stern determination.

"We sent a word few hours ago but we're not sure it if has reached them yet" Shunsui said, his eyes still on Toushiro who was quietly seething before him.

"What's next then?" Toushiro asked in a cold tone, keeping his eyes cast down. Rangiku bit her lower lip, she knew her general well enough to read the signs of an upcoming storm.

"We could stick with the original plan and just trek to the main rebel campsite, negotiate with general Urahara and then either leave or stay. But now it seems that they might need our help immediately" Jyushiro said, "and I don't think we have much time."

"When Urahara hears Aizen has captured Yoruichi he will discard all reasoning" Shunsui noted, "this guerrilla warfare has gone on for far too long. Aizen has tempted Urahara long enough and wants him to take action himself, he has grown tired of waiting."

"Why then not just kill her and leave her here with the rest?" Renji asked, earning a harsh glare from Rangiku, "I mean now Aizen is basically giving him hope to rescue her."

"He wants Urahara to act now, if she was already surely dead there would be no point in rushing things" Toushiro said, knowing how manipulative and calculating the dictator could be.

"Hope will drive him to the desperate things, Aizen wants Urahara to do his best. Grief would only make him give up and act sloppy" Shunsui added. Before the rebellion he had served alongside Kisuke and knew the man and how he would act. He felt Jyushiro's eyes on him and turned to look at his old friend, guessing he was thinking the same thing.

"So what, Urahara hears Aizen has Shihoin and then what? How many troops does he even have? Didn't you report that they had just been attacked with air missiles?" Renji asked, cocking his head to the side and folding his arms on his chest.

"My guess is he will assemble his troops and attack the capital, besides I highly doubt Urahara doesn't have at least few plans ready for action whenever he needs to move" Jyushiro answered.

"So what can we do?" Rangiku queried, shifting her weight from one foot to another. Jyushiro gave her a soft glance, he was well aware of her personal interest in a certain someone under Aizen's command. Despite her harsh exterior Rangiku had a warm heart and still harbored some old feelings towards her old friend despite his betrayal.

"We can do our civil duty and try to protect these people from tyranny" Shunsui announced casually, as if declaring war to a dictator was something one did every other day, "this game of charades has been going on long enough."

"What will the head commander say?" Renji questioned. The two generals were the longest serving soldiers in the Seireitei army but even they answered straight to Yamamoto and waging war on their own against a neighboring nation, ruled by a cruel dictator and traitor or not, would have severe consequences. Jyushiro and Shunsui again exchanged knowing glances with each other, making the others feel they were being left out on something essential.

"We can worry about that later" Shunsui brushed the comment away, "our main concern now is to assemble the rest of our troops and have them join us in the battle against Aizen." Toushiro didn't seem convinced, he might've been the youngest of the people present but he hadn't attained his title of a general for nothing.

"How do you suggest we do that? Even bringing three generals into foreign territory was a challenge enough, not to mention four lieutenants and two high- ranking officers. Besides, not many generals seemed to be willing to cooperate with Urahara in the first place, never mind without a direct order from the head commander." Shunsui's lips curled into a somewhat mischievous smile and he tapped the side of his nose as a conspirator to another.

"Leave that to us, young Hitsugaya. Ukitake here has a plan that might just work."

"'Might'? How are we supposed to be convinced by that?" Renji scoffed, he knew his own general had been consistently adamant on keeping out of this civil war, despite the consequences. He was currently endangering his own position by just being here.

"Well it's not like you have any other choice, is it now?" Shunsui asked though he knew all the conflictions the others had and could understand their concern. But in this situation a good chance was all they had, and they could only pray it would prove to be enough.


	14. Chapter 14

**_Update, hooray! Some fighting here again, exciting! And other stuff too, hope you like it! _**

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><p><strong>Chapter 14. <em>Demons from my past<em>**

A group of soldiers ran out of their barracks, some still putting on their boots and grabbing their weapons as they went. As soon as they had gone, a pale shadow emerged from the darkness and quietly made its way into the now empty barracks. Shiro opened the closest trunk and pulled out a worn-out uniform. He didn't want to be caught in a mortal combat with any of these goons while naked. He took off his scimitar and quickly dressed into the white, coarse uniform and strapped his scimitar to his hips. _Alright, now we're ready for some business. _

The small change into Shiro's plans had gone better than he had expected, though he had almost managed to lose a leg in the process. But now it seemed that the whole army was in such disarray it had been almost child's play to make it through the capital, and he was now pretty close to the prison cells already. If everything now went according to plan, he would be in and out of here with his friends in no time.

Shiro cursed Aizen's uniform for their lack of hoods to hide his face and distinct hair and grabbed another uniform which he tore into shreds to make it into a makeshift scarf. He wrapped the cloth around his head and face, leaving only his eyes visible. Shiro exited the barracks back into the street, only to immediately dodge another group of soldiers running past him. Shiro waited for them to be out of his sight and then started to run into the opposite direction, towards the centre on the capital.

Suddenly he heard a familiar voice shouting in the distance and almost instantly felt his legs buckling under him. _Shit, I don't have the time. _Shiro's eyes darted around the narrow street he was on and then, hearing the voice coming closer by the second, decided to take a short cut and jumped on the roof of the nearest building. As soon as he had flattened his body on the tile roof, yet another dozen soldiers came running down the street, this time accompanied by a general barking orders at them. Shiro could feel cold anger flowing through him as he watched the man go past him, it would've been so easy to jump down and slice him in half. _Some other time, _the young man promised himself as the group disappeared behind a corner. He slid down from the roof and continued on, now slightly more wary than before.

Shiro could already see the architecture change into more traditional look as he finally made it closer to the older part of the capital. This was where Aizen had his headquarters and where the prisons were located, as well as the personal premises of all his closest generals and lieutenants. Shiro could feel another wave of memories penetrate into his mind, making it harder for him to keep a cool head. He made a quick turn, remembering the route to Aizen's very own private quarters.

"Oi freak!" Shiro froze midstride, a string of curses dropping from his mouth before he turned around. He had again recognised the voice, it hadn't been nearly long enough since he had heard it the last time. Grimmjow was standing at the end of the street, his sword swung casually on his shoulder.

"I knew you'd show up eventually" the man continued, the usual smug grin splitting his face. Shiro's eyes scanned the man's bound up arms and chest.

"I see Aizen made you pay for your last mistake. You sure you want to make another one so soon?" Grimmjow's grin turned into a grimace and he lowered his sword.

"Don't start what you can't finish, freak" he spat, spinning his sword in his hand. Shiro hadn't even made a gesture to draw out his own weapon, his posture was relaxed and head tilted to the side.

"If I can't finish this, it's because you'll run away before I have the chance." Grimmjow growled at him and suddenly sprang into a run, quickly closing the distance between them. Shiro didn't seem intimidated, he still wasn't reaching for his weapon. Only when Grimmjow was just few feet away the young man spun around and grabbed his scimitar into his hand, steel clanging against steel as it connected with Grimmjow's sword.

Shiro could feel his hand almost go numb from the power of the impact and frowned, he hadn't felt Grimmjow being this strong during their prior fight. _Or maybe I'm weaker. _He turned his sword to the side and slipped away from the lock, stepping away from Grimmjow and twirling the scimitar in his hand to flex the muscles. Grimmjow's smirk was back on his face, he seemed to have noticed Shiro's slight confusion.

"Told you not to start something you can't finish." Shiro knew he didn't have the time for this now, he might already be too late.

"Then I'll just have to finish you off quickly. And for good."

"I'd love to see you try."

"Keep your eyes open" Shiro hissed as he crouched down and lunged at Grimmjow's feet, almost managing to catch the man off-guard. He jumped out of the way and aimed a kick at Shiro's head, which the young man blocked with his shoulder. He grabbed Grimmjow's foot and twisted, causing the man fall to his side but Grimmjow broke his fall by pressing his hand against the ground and somersaulting backwards to his feet.

He had barely secured his footing before Shiro's scimitar managed to nick his skin under his eye. Grimmjow pulled his head back to save himself from being blinded and snarled, ducking down and lunging towards Shiro, reaching for his midsection. His shoulder hit Shiro's stomach, knocking the air out of the young man's lungs and toppling him over. Shiro stopped his fall by reaching his left hand back to the ground and spun around in the air, making it back to his feet. He pressed his scimitar to the ground and pushed himself up, already seeing Grimmjow's sword coming towards his head.

Shiro raised his scimitar to his face, using his free arm to support it as he pushed Grimmjow's sword back. The man's face was only inches away from his, his eyes were burning and his smirk had twisted into a fierce grimace as he tried to force his sword further so it would cut Shiro's head off. Shiro used his whole weight to shove the sword away and moved behind Grimmjow with few quick steps, trying to get his back but the man was too fast. Their swords clanged together, the distance between staying so short they couldn't get real momentum behind their hits, there wasn't enough time or space for big maneuvers. Shiro's teeth were clenching together, the tension was making his head ache as he tried to think of a way to end this quickly. But with Grimmjow there was no way he could just run away, the man would hunt him down in seconds and then they would have to do this whole thing again. But he couldn't win him like this either, he was in too much hurry to tire the man out and he could feel his muscles already straining. He hadn't slept in good few days and the journey from the pass to the capital had worn him out. He would be dead in minutes like this.

Shiro aimed his scimitar at Grimmjow's right shoulder. The general blocked the strike with his sword and stretched his free hand to grab the scarf wrapped around Shiro's neck. The young man quickly backed off and wrung himself free from the cloth, tearing the fabric as Grimmjow pulled it off him along with some strands of his hair. Shiro shook his head to flick the hair away from his eyes and raised his scimitar to block Grimmjow's violent swing that would've sliced his chest open. Shiro pushed the man back, hoping to catch him off balance but failed as Grimmjow only jumped back and lunged at him again. Suddenly something flashed in Shiro's head, breaking his concentration for a second too long so Grimmjow got his chance to draw blood. Shiro spun around to avoid further damage but Grimmjow had managed to cut the inside his sword arm. The young sergeant pressed his free hand to the wound, it wasn't very deep but in time would impair his fighting in the long run. _I need to find Ichigo, now. _

"Okay Grimmjow, you had your fun but I have more important stuff to do than kicking your ass, fun as it is" he said to Grimmjow as the man watched his white uniform stain with blood.

"Getting scared already?" the general laughed, flicking the blood from the sword, "I haven't even started."

"Too bad I'm done" Shiro replied but Grimmjow was already coming at him, swinging his sword down to cleave Shiro's head in two. The young man exhaled slowly and suddenly it felt as if the world slowed down around him. He raised his free hand up to block Grimmjow's sword and could see the insane grin on the general's face widen.

The ground under their feet shook as Shiro grabbed the blade of Grimmjow's weapon. Split second later the general was sent flying to the nearest wall, his sword dropping to the ground as twisted piece of metal. Shiro was standing in his place, flexing his hand. Grimmjow batted his eyes to focus his vision again and grunted as he tried to get back up. His eyes caught the sight of his broken sword and then the cracks in the cobbled pavement that lead to Shiro's feet. He snorted as he leaned against the wall behind him.

"That's a new one" he remarked to Shiro, who was battling to stay upright, "you got something else up your sleeve?"

"You have no idea" Shiro replied under his breath, turning to look at Grimmjow, "but I don't have time to show you." _And if it feels like this every time, not the strength either. _

"Hey, you're not fucking leaving till one of us is dead!" the general shouted, "I said I'd kill you with my bare hands if I need to."

"Grimm, I'd love nothing more than to see your entrails spread across this floor but I don't have time for it. Try to stay alive till next time." Before Grimmjow could say anything more, Shiro was already right in front of him, his arm stretched out the grab Grimmjow's head. The young man pushed him back, making Grimmjow's head connect with the stone wall so hard it knocked him out cold. As the man's body slumped down Shiro himself doubled over, the sudden nausea was overpowering him.

"Fuck" he managed to hiss out as he tried to stop his head from spinning. He fell to his knees right next to Grimmjow, desperately trying to catch his breath. _Shit, not now, not yet. I can't…_Shiro leaned his hands to the ground, he was heaving and his throat felt like it was tearing itself apart. _I have to get out before someone else comes here. _Shiro forced his feet to work again and shook his head to clear his blurry vision. _Now I know why he told me to use that as a last resort. I can't imagine doing that twice. _Shiro wobbled away, he wasn't even that far away anymore, if he could just make it without further interruptions. And on his own two feet.

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><p>Ulquiorra had heard the sounds of battle coming from near the old training ground. He had discarded his post to check it out but before he had made it there the whole ground had suddenly jerked under his feet and then the sounds had died out. He had a fairly good idea what had happened but wanted to make sure. As Ulquiorra turned the last corner he noticed that there were small rocks scattered along the cobbled pavement. They looked as if they had been broken from larger rocks and flown far from the original source. Ulquiorra hurried his steps and noticed that the pavement was filled with small crackles and stones that had twisted from their places as if something had hit them hard. Then he saw the first spills of blood on the stones. <em>Oh for god's sake.<em>

Grimmjow was lying against the wall in middle of the rubble, blood was streaking his blue hair and his sword was lying few feet away from his body, looking as if it had been melted in a blacksmith's fire. Ulquiorra walked over to him and crouched down to touch the sword gingerly, but it was cold as steel would be. He turned his head to follow the cracks in the pavement, the ground about twenty feet away was sunken in and the whole clearing was pretty much destroyed. _Interesting development, _Ulquiorra thought as he got up and then tended to unconscious Grimmjow. He slapped the man's face few times to wake him up.

"Wake up." Grimmjow groaned, his head lolling from side to side as Ulquiorra kept slapping him. Finally the man grabbed Ulquiorra's wrist, his eyes opening into thin slits. A low growl rose from his throat before he recognized the man in front of him.

"You" he muttered, sounding disappointed. Ulquiorra arched an eyebrow at the man's reaction and wrung his hand free, straightening up from the ground.

"What happened here?" Ulquiorra asked, staring at the crackled pavement. Grimmjow huffed, fighting to get up from the ground but his feet betrayed under him.

"That freak" he hissed as he grabbed hold of the wall and dragged himself up. Ulquiorra threw another glance at the man's sword that was now useless.

"So he won again" Ulquiorra noted, "what a surprise." Grimmjow snarled as he took a tumbling step closer to Ulquiorra, his hand grabbing the man's robes.

"I will fucking kill you, I swear" he wheezed out and then Ulquiorra noticed the trail of blood coming from the man's mouth. He immediately put his hands on Grimmjow's shoulders, steadying him as his knees buckled.

"Lean onto me" Ulquiorra said as he wrapped his arm around Grimmjow's waist to take on his weight.

"Fucking kill…" the man mumbled, his eyes rolling to the back of his head.

"Shit" Ulquiorra cursed as he started to drag Grimmjow away, hoping their healer wouldn't have left their post. _This has become like a habit, _he thought as he dragged Grimmjow's body along the hallways, _I'm not sure what to think of it. _

Only few blocks away Shiro was leaning heavily against the stone wall, trying to steady his breath and stay conscious. His vision went blurry from time to time and his legs felt weak, he could taste blood and vomit in his mouth.

"Fuck" he breathed as he took another shaky step forward. He shook his head to clear his mind, fighting every step as he slowly advanced towards his goal. He prayed there would be no guards here due the chaos on the eastern wall, he was in no condition to fend off even the lowest ranking soldier. Shiro wobbled forward, pressing his hand to his mouth to avoid vomiting on his own feet. Suddenly he could hear faint, quick footsteps coming from behind him and sighed heavily, his hand reaching for his scimitar though he doubted he even had the strength to hold it. He turned around, grasping on the scimitar so tightly his knuckles turned white and steadied his feet under him so he could at least die whilst standing.

Shiro heard the footsteps coming closer to the corner and exhaled slowly to calm his nerves and prepare himself for the fight. As the person turned the corner, Shiro lashed out with his scimitar, only to have it cut through thin air. Shiro blinked before his arm was grabbed and twisted painfully, making him drop his weapon. But then the grip loosened and Shiro felt familiar hands wrap around his waist.

"Shirosaki" Yoruichi gasped, immediately noticing her old student's worse for wear appearance, "what happened?" Shiro bit down on his teeth as he tried to shake off Yoruichi's hands.

"What does it look like?" he hissed before almost falling down to his knees again.

"Looks like you exploded the mine field, snuck in and got your ass handed to you" Yoruichi said, with little sympathy in her voice, "how far off am I?" Shiro tried to laugh but only managed to cough up blood, staining the whiten tiles. Yoruichi frowned and crouched down next to him, gently raising him back to his feet.

"Who did you fight?" she took a longer look at Shiro and realized he didn't have any visible wounds beside the scratch on his sword arm, "what did you do?" Shiro straightened himself up, pushing away the hair from his eyes.

"Just a little setback, it's nothing" he shrugged but almost immediately his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he went limp on Yoruichi's arms.

"Oh shit" Yoruichi groaned as she tried to carry Shirosaki's whole weight. She secured her footing and pushed Shiro back to his feet with her shoulder, then exhaled slowly before hauling the young man's body on her shoulders. Yoruichi let out a slow hiss as her knees first buckled but she managed to regain her balance. She shook her head as she slowly continued her way to her original destination. _You want something done right, you gotta do it yourself._

* * *

><p>Hundreds of miles away, in the rebel main camp site, Shinji Hirako was pacing in front of general Urahara's tent. He threw an occasional glare at the man's personal butler and bodyguard Tessai, the beast of a man was guarding the entrance to the tent and had been doing so for the past day and night.<p>

"General Urahara is not taking any visitors" the man repeated for the hundredth time, not even sounding irritated yet, "you can go back to your duties, sir Hirako." Shinji scoffed and spat on the ground, continuing with his pacing.

"Sir, you have been here for hours, you need to rest."

"I'm not gonna rest before he tells me what he's gonna do" Shinji snapped, pointing his finger behind Tessai's back, "and I'm gonna stay here until he does." Tessai sighed softly and shook his head.

"You will be the first to know when he is ready." Shinji let out a bitter laugh, throwing his head back for show.

"Yeah right. I'm not trusting that crazed, love-drunk idiot to do any rational decisions at this point." Shinji paused for a second, staring grimly at the ground.

"Any news…"

"No" Tessai answered, "no one has heard anything." Shinji swore and pressed his hand to his face.

"Figures" he exasperated, then started to walk in circles again. Suddenly he stopped again, a frown descending on his face.

"You hear that?" Tessai frowned as well as he tried to listen out for anything.

"Yes. Yes I do" he said, sounding surprised, "there's at least…."

"At least fifty horsemen, if not more" Shinji said, now turning towards the source of the sound, "they're coming from the north."

"The pass." Soon the whole camp had noticed the same thing, people were running around gathering their weapons and looking for their superiors for advice. Generals started to appear around the tent, some looking like they had been dragged straight out of bed. Love almost stumbled on his own feet, his robes flapping down on his waist. Rose followed behind him with slightly more grace, smoothing his long blond locks as he walked. Lisa stomped to the scene, looking furious with her hair messed up, Kensei coming up few steps behind her. Mashiro and Hachi were the only ones who looked prepared for anything, Hiyori was nowhere to be seen. That moment Shinji realized he hadn't seen the small woman in few days.

"What's going on?" Love was the first to ask. Shinji shrugged, glancing at Tessai for advice.

"No idea" he replied, turning his eyes back to north, already seeing a dust cloud forming in the horizon.

"Guess we'll just have to find out" Kensei noted, tugging on his robes. Suddenly the door of the tent was almost violently pushed open and Kisuke ran out, looking disheveled and tired but still running towards the edge of the camp. Shinji was quick to follow right behind the man, Tessai and the other generals doing the same. Shinji managed to catch up with Kisuke, who was wearing a strangely excited expression on his face.

"Kisuke, what the hell's going on?" he asked, trying to keep up with the general. Kisuke gave him a quick look from the corner of his eyes, his mouth curling into a wicked smile.

"You'll see soon enough." Shinji rolled his eyes but kept running, now seeing soldiers everywhere around them gathering to the edge of the camp. The dust cloud was coming closer and now Shinji could make out individual forms before it, realizing it was a small company of soldiers, led by people on horseback. The familiar black robes the people were wearing gave Shinji a clue of who the people were, though at this point he didn't really need it. Kensei appeared by his side, pulling on the collar of his robes.

"Is that what I think it is?" he asked Shinji, not sounding sure what he should think of this sudden development.

"Who else could it be?" Shinji scoffed, slowing down to a walking pace and letting Kisuke take the lead. The general was now good thirty feet ahead of everyone else, ready to welcome their guests, as it were. Shinji could now make out generals Ukitake and Kyoraku, but also some people he didn't know, wearing the Gotei 13 insignia. There were four lieutenants, three women and a man, and two highly-seated officers following right behind the generals. Beside the oldest soldiers in the Seireitei army was also a young man, Shinji suspected him to be barely in his twenties but it seemed he was wearing the decorations of a general. _They must be short on staff, _Shinji snorted to himself as the rebel generals lined up behind Kisuke, some of them looking more way than others. Love positioned himself next to Shinji, staring at the small army coming closer over the rim of his sunglasses.

"What do you make of this then, Hirako?" he asked Shinji, sounding genuinely curious. Shinji shrugged, folding his arms on his chest.

"Depends on what Kisuke makes of this" he replied, eyeing their leader who was now slowly waving at the Seireitei generals.

"He looks happy" Lisa noted, though she kept her hand on the hilt of her sword.

"I doubt they have any good news" Kensei said, a deep frown shadowing his face, "they even look like a funeral party."

"Let's not get carried away yet, it might be good" Rose countered, his long blond hair whipping in the desert wind.

"Doubt it."

The small portion of Seireitei's elite had finally made it so close that Ukitake and Kyoraku halted their steeds and jumped down to the ground, their lieutenants quickly following suit. Shunsui was already hailing to Kisuke, but the young general seemed more suspicious, his sharp turquoise eyes scanning the camp and their crowd tentatively. Shinji found it funny that the youngest person of the whole section seemed to be the most competent one, but then again, he had to be if he wanted to live as long as Shunsui or Jyushiro while serving in the army.

"Couldn't stay away, could you?" Kisuke asked as Shunsui walked towards him, wearing his usual lazy smile. Jyushiro by his side looked almost equally amiable though slightly nervous. Few hundred possibly hostile soldiers standing barely a hundred feet away could do that.

"How could I stay away from such a pretty face?" Shunsui replied, dusting his worn-out uniform. His lieutenant, a stern-looking young woman walking just behind him didn't seem to be as eager to get acquainted with the rebel forces. Kensei spat on the ground as the two older generals were joined by their youngest member, Shinji raised an eyebrow at his unusual appearance. His hair was as white as Jyushiro's, but he didn't look sickly or otherwise pale like the older man. Combined with his striking, almost disturbingly blue-green eyes, Shinji wasn't sure whether he was uncommonly handsome or just freakish. _I have to consult Lisa on that later._

"How are you, Urahara?" Jyushiro asked, smiling kindly at the man and offering his hand. Kisuke took it with his both hands, flashing an eager smile back at the man.

"Better now once I've seen your faces" he said, then glanced at the people standing behind the two generals, "I see you brought your court with you." Jyushiro turned around to see the rest of their small group nearly hovering over him, the officers were looking slightly out of place and kept throwing suspicious glances at the rebel army.

"Oh yes, well, what we could muster up at such short notice" he said, now looking at Shunsui who just spread out his hands, "but we're currently working on it." Kisuke nodded slowly, looking back at his own little army.

"Maybe we should continue this somewhere less crowded" he suggested but before either of the older generals could answer the young man stepped forward, earning a surprised look from Kisuke.

"General Urahara, I don't know if you are aware of the situation at the border of our countries, but it appears that general Aizen has attacked your troops in the northern pass, killing at least thirty soldiers. We also have a reason to believe that he has captured some of the soldiers and general Shihoin, taking them to the capital." Kisuke stared blankly at the young general delivering the news in a cold, efficient tone. Jyushiro bit his lip and quickly ushered the young man back, Shunsui stepping forward and quickly taking Kisuke by his arm.

"You heard that?" Kensei asked Shinji, who nodded almost unnoticeably, "They got Yoruichi. Wonder how many men did that take."

"With the right men, not that many" Shinji replied grimly, shaking his head lightly. Every time he was sure they had hit the bottom he was proven hideously wrong.

"Okay, so they have Yoruichi and some rookies, what now?" Lisa asked. Love shrugged, but Rose had an idea.

"Kisuke will go after her. So expect to be called to order in few minutes, I'm guessing we'll be leaving as soon as possible."

"What, you mean this is happening now?" Lisa demanded, her eyes narrowing at Rose, "He wouldn't be that stupid."

"What's stupid about it? Now seems as good time as any" Shinji remarked, "we've been at this for a decade now, I think it's about time."

"Hear hear" Kensei chuckled, flexing his shoulders back, "I've been waiting for some practice."

"You think the Seireitei will help us out?" Love queried, "I mean, that's why they're here, right?"

"Even if they are, it's extremely unofficial" Shinji said, "I have no idea how they even got this many officers here in the first place, the old man must be losing his touch."

"Maybe it's a set-up" Lisa thought, "I wouldn't be at all surprised."

Shunsui was now talking to Kisuke in a low tone so the others couldn't make out his words. Kisuke seemed tense, Shinji could sense a storm coming.

"Whatever it is, be ready" he said to the others in an equally low voice, suddenly the atmosphere changed from curious to nervous. The soldiers kept shifting around and their chattering got louder, they too could sense the incoming danger. Rose looked at them over his shoulder and nudged Love beside him, nodding towards the crowd.

"We're going to go talk to them a bit, explain things so they won't freak out" Love said to Shinji as they turned away. Kensei went along with them, he was good at keeping the troops under discipline even in the toughest situations. Shinji wasn't sure whether it was his abilities as a general or just pure fear he stroke into the hearts of the soldiers, but he didn't really care at the moment. The important thing was to keep everyone calm until they knew what was going to happen.

"You really think this is it?" Lisa asked him, now sounding slightly worried herself. Shinji patted her on the shoulder, the thought was slowly sinking into his mind too.

"Let's just keep a cool head. This is what we've been waiting for, eh?" Lisa looked at the Seireitei troops and suppressed a slight shudder going through her as the thought of facing their enemies in an honest face-to-face fight to the death was painted in her mind. All their little squabbles throughout the years had somehow lulled her into a false sense of security, that they could actually win against Aizen and his full forces. Now the mere idea seemed laughable.

"Yeah" she managed to utter finally, "guess it is."


	15. Chapter 15

**I had a weird revelation that I wanted to have two badass ladies fighting against each other (watching too much Kill Bill lately…) So this is what happened. Hope it's to your liking! And merry Christmas everyone!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 15. <strong>_**Still standing on my path**_

"Hey, snap out of it already!" Shirosaki groaned as someone slapped him in the face, first only patting gently at his cheeks and then suddenly his whole face was on fire.

"Ow goddamnit!" he swore as he snapped his eyes open, staring straight into Yoruichi's face. The woman looked furious but there was a slight relief in her eyes as Shiro finally came to.

"You took your sweet time" she said almost gleefully as she straightened herself up. Shiro was sitting on the ground, his back against the wall of one of the buildings of the old city. He shook his head and looked around them, the hallway was empty but he could still hear the noises of commotion coming from the eastern wall.

"We don't have much time anymore, they have probably figured out what happened and will be coming back to look for us" Yoruichi said as she grabbed Shiro's arm and pulled him to his feet, "you okay to go?" Shiro exhaled slowly and flexed his muscles, he did feel slightly better than before he had blacked out. He could feel slight nausea still coursing in his stomach and his head ached but otherwise he felt good.

"Yeah, good as new" he slipped a white lie to Yoruichi, who could see right through it but this wasn't the time for care for such things.

"Good, let's get going. We're nearly there already." Shiro nodded and they continued towards Aizen's lair. All the guards had abandoned their posts, making everything slightly too easy for them. Yoruichi frowned as they went around another corner and saw no one ahead. _This is starting to get bit too easy. We're this close and still no one…_

Suddenly Yoruichi felt a strange tingling on her neck. Without saying a word she tackled Shiro to the ground, knocking the air out of the young man's lungs.

"Wh- What the fuck!" Shiro wheezed but his words were cut off as a round of bullets pierced the air just where he was standing not a second ago, "oh." Yoruichi had already spun back to her feet, crouching on the ground like a cat ready to pounce. She narrowed her eyes at the form standing at the end of the hallway, holding a pistol in its hand. Yoruichi took her own hand to her gun, clicking the safety off. The form pulled its arm back, emptying the barrel of the pistol to the stone floor. Shiro had also scrambled back to his feet, staring at the new enemy.

"Who's that?" he hissed to Yoruichi, who just raised her two fingers signaling Shiro to shut it. The form slipped the pistol back to its sheath and started to walk slowly towards them, steel- strengthened boots clanking against the cobbled stones. Yoruichi quickly straightened herself, keeping her hand on her pistol. She still couldn't quite make out who this new enemy was, he was tall and wrapped in the white robes of Aizen's army. Yoruichi swore in her mind as she noticed the markings of a general on his shoulder.

"Your security is getting pretty lax these days" Yoruichi taunted the general but only got an unyielding stare back from those icy green eyes that were the only visible part from behind the robes. Next to her Shiro shifted nervously, his hand squeezing the hilt of his scimitar.

"Yoruichi, just shoot him already, we don't time for this" he said quietly but Yoruichi just shook her head.

"I will not die here without honor, understand that?" Shiro scoffed, nodding towards the general who was getting closer with each long stride he took, his hand reaching behind his back.

"He shoot us in the back, there's no honor in this to begin with! Just shoot him!" The general drew out a sword from behind his back, the blade was something either Yoruichi or Shiro had ever seen. It only had edges, with a hollow hole in the middle. Shiro cocked his head to one side looking at the strange weapon.

"Wonder if the steel can take even a hit" he muttered, glancing at Yoruichi who hadn't even drawn a weapon yet. She rarely fought with anything but her bare hands in close combat, though she could shoot off the wings from a fly from a hundred yards.

The general was now only about hundred feet away and spun his sword in the air, making a whirring sound as air went through the hollow hole inside it. Yoruichi flexed her hands, usually she had steel bracelets on her arms and pieces of armor on her legs to help her counter attacks but if she tried to block a swing from the general now, she'd lose a limb. She'd have to dodge every strike from the general and try to get some hits on at the same time.

"Shiro, get back" Yoruichi ordered as she secured her footing, curling her toes and snapping her fingers from anticipation. The general had stayed quiet, now only spinning his sword lazily in the air. Yoruichi frowned as she tried to make out more than just those piercing eyes.

"Right" she said under her breath as the general was only twenty feet away. She sprang into motion, jumping from the ground and aiming a straight kick at the general's head. The general merely raised his free hand and pushed Yoruichi away with his arm, his sword arm following to swing at Yoruichi. The woman wasn't fazed and touched the ground only for a second before spinning around and tried to sweep the general from his feet, missing by an inch as the general stepped aside and turned around, the sword coming down on Yoruichi again. The woman rolled away and got back to her feet, glancing at Shiro who was about to draw his sword.

"Shiro, go get Ichigo!" Yoruichi yelled as she dodged another violent swing of the general's sword and grabbed his arm, trying to use his own motion to throw him to the side. Shiro grimaced at the general twisted his arm away and kicked Yoruichi in her abdomen, making the woman stagger back.

"Just go!" Yoruichi ordered before Shiro had a chance to argue. The general glanced at Shiro over his shoulder, the young man felt a shiver run through him as the cold eyes nailed him in his place. Yoruichi took advantage of the second's misplaced attention and kicked the general's sword arm, making him drop his sword to ground. Another swift punch on his shoulder made him step back and snap his eyes back to Yoruichi, just in time to grab her foot aiming for his face. Yoruichi used the general's hand as a leverage to kick herself off the ground and jump over his head, landing just few feet away from Shiro.

"I cannot do this if you're standing there" she said, rolling her shoulders back with an audible pop, "Ichigo's your responsibility now, just fucking go!" Shiro erred for a second more before grunting with anger and turned to run away, regretting his decision with every step he took.

Yoruichi breathed heavily as she kept her eyes on the general who was flexing his battered hand, glancing at his sword lying on the ground. It was closer to Yoruichi than to him and it was already obvious to him he'd have to fight for it if he wanted his hands on it.

"You have great audacity to come this deep into the private realm of Lord Aizen" the general finally spoke, his voice deep but there was something wrong with it. Yoruichi frowned and stared at the general with new eyes. Now she noticed the slight curve of his chest, though mostly hidden under the heavy robes but it was there. And the slim wrists and nimble fingers. _She's a woman. Who would've thought?_

"As I said, your security has gone pretty weak for us to even get this far. I bet Aizen will love to hear of this" Yoruichi replied with a crooked smile, "if he ever does that is." The general narrowed her eyes at Yoruichi.

"You really think you could beat me, without a sword, exhausted and wounded? You are a bold one, Yoruichi Shihoin." Yoruichi raised her eyebrows hearing her own name.

"You seem to know quite a lot about me. Don't you think it's pretty rude not telling me at least your name?" The general's shoulders jumped slightly as if she had uttered a laugh. She raised her hand and pulled the robes away from her face, revealing surprisingly beautiful features and cropped straw blond hair. Yoruichi couldn't remember hearing from a female general from their intelligence but if she kept her face hidden like that all the time it wasn't really a surprise.

"Tia Harribel. And I'm telling you that only because it is customary to let a person know the name of their killer." Yoruichi laughed, getting slightly tired of the general's arrogance.

"Since we both now know each other's names, don't you think it's time to settle this? I doubt we have much time left before someone disturbs us." Harribel didn't respond anymore, she moved her left foot back ready to go. Yoruichi glanced at the sword that still lay on the ground, trying to figure out would Harribel go straight for it or try to knock her out first.

Apparently the general thought she could take Yoruichi on unarmed as she lunged at her, her arm reaching to grab Yoruichi's hand. Yoruichi turned sideways to dodge the attack and swept her leg across the air, aiming for Harribel's shoulder. The woman crouched down and pressed her hands on the ground behind her back, allowing her to spin her legs in the air and force Yoruichi to back off, almost knocking her out of balance. Yoruichi regained her composure just as Harribel got back to her feet, her hands clenched into fists. Yoruichi stepped forward and aimed a punch at Harribel's face, which the general easily dodged by leaning to the side. Yoruichi tried to kick her out of balance by aiming at her foot that was supporting her weight, only to have it kicked back as Harribel switched her footing.

It was Harribel's turn to deliver a punch at Yoruichi, but the smaller woman stepped to the side, now standing next to Harribel. She grabbed her outstretched arm and punched back with her elbow, waiting for a crunch to signal she had hit her face. But Harribel merely bend her arm and dodged the elbow, facing Yoruichi who was still holding onto her arm. Harribel headbutted Yoruichi, making the woman let go of her arm and stagger backwards to the wall. Harribel immediately followed with a right straight punch, but Yoruichi's reflexes saved her from having her face smashed in. Harribel's fist smashed into the wall as Yoruichi rolled to the side, somersaulting further away to buy herself more time. Too late she realized Harribel's sword was now right at the general's grasp and cursed as the woman turned to pick it up.

"I have heard you always fight empty handed" Harribel said, spinning her sword in the air again before grabbing it by the hilt, "very admirable. But foolish."

"Nice to know you think that" Yoruichi replied, shaking her head to clear her blurred vision, "but I've been fighting people bare-handed when you were still trying to hold your sword up with one hand."

"So you might be more experienced. But it also makes you older" Harribel countered, taking steps closer to Yoruichi, "which means you'll tire out faster. You are already gasping for breath." Yoruichi clenched down on her jaw so Harribel wouldn't notice how badly she was out of breath already. She was stronger than her, and almost as fast if Yoruichi had been at her best. But she wasn't, she hadn't eaten properly in few days and the physical strain was starting to take its toll on her. She was almost regretting telling Shirosaki to leave. Yoruichi was growing increasingly aware of the pistol strapped to her thigh, her fingers itching to grab it and end this quickly. Harribel seemed to read her thoughts as she stopped and smiled almost arrogantly at her.

"Feeling desperate already? I am disappointed, Yoruichi Shihoin. To see that this is all there is to Kisuke Urahara's first hand." Yoruichi closed her eyes for a second, trying to clear her mind from the pain and fatigue that were holding her down. She could hear Harribel coming closer, the faint whirring sound of her blade grated Yoruichi's ears as she tried to regain her resolve. _I won't die here, _she swore silently, clenching her hands into fists and biting down on her teeth. Yoruichi snapped her eyes open and for a second Harribel stopped, the look in the woman's eyes had changed almost completely. There was nothing there anymore, just coldness. Harribel's lips twisted into a satisfied smirk.

"Finally. Some fight in you."

"You'll regret not shooting me in the back" Yoruichi warned her as she straightened herself up.

"You'll regret not taking that pistol and putting a bullet in my head before that." The women stared at each other, Harribel gripping onto her sword so tightly her knuckles turned white and Yoruichi's fists were shaking.

"Ready to die?" Yoruichi managed to spit out, proud that her voice wasn't shaking. Harribel merely nodded, and Yoruichi launched into movement. She aimed a blow at Harribel's right shoulder again, noticing it was already shaking as she held the sword in her hand. Harribel pulled back, turning sideways to Yoruichi and moving her arm away from her. Suddenly Yoruichi noticed Harribel had thrown her sword in the air and instinctively took the chance to wrap her arm around the general's neck in an attempt to choke her now that she didn't need to worry about her weapon. But Harribel had by then already caught the sword to her left hand and slashed at Yoruichi's side, tearing into her skin before she managed to jump away. _Ambidextrous bitch._

Harribel was at Yoruichi again, delivering fierce blows with incredible speed. Yoruichi was smaller and more agile, trying to keep close to the woman to get contact and make her sword maneuvers more difficult. Harribel looked calm, she wasn't even sweating or out of breath which was in stark contrast to the sheer force behind her violent strikes. Yoruichi knew she was just biting her time now, she needed to do something rash and almost stupid in order to win this. She dropped to the ground, pressing her hands against the cobbled stones and swiped with her legs, trying to hit Harribel's feet. The woman quickly staggered backwards, glaring down at Yoruichi and trying to figure out what the woman was plotting. Instead of getting back up Yoruichi stayed down, now crouched down on her legs and suddenly lunged at Harribel's feet again, her arms stretched out. Harribel didn't manage to dodge this time and Yoruichi brought her down, making her fall heavily on her back on the cobblestones.

Yoruichi immediately crawled up to sit on Harribel's thighs so she couldn't kick her off and started to twist her left arm to make her let go of her sword. Harribel hissed at her and her free hand shot at Yoruichi's throat, starting to choke her violently. Her legs kicked as she tried to throw Yoruichi off but the woman was determined this time. Even the fact that her vision was going black from the lack of air didn't stop her from twisting Harribel's arm until she finally let go off her sword. Yoruichi grabbed the weapon, though Harribel's both hands were now at her throat, squeezing the life out of her.

"You…bitch!" Harribel snapped at her as Yoruichi grabbed her sword, Harribel's eyes suddenly widened as she saw the steel blade coming down at her. Yoruichi used her distraction to pull away from her grasp and stroke down with the blade, nailing Harribel to the ground. The sword sunk through her skin like it was nothing, even piercing to the stone floors under her.

Harribel stared at Yoruichi who was gasping for breath, rubbing her throat as she fell back to the ground next to the general. Blood started to pour out from the wound, coloring Harribel's white robes with brownish stains. Harribel grabbed the sword's hilt and tried to pull it off, her arms shaking and her teeth grating as the blade didn't move an inch. Yoruichi coughed and dragged herself further away as Harribel struggled, low growls escaping from her throat. Yoruichi closed her eyes, trying to shut out the sounds of dying right next to her.

"Bitch!" Harribel swore as she finally let go of the sword, turning her fiery eyes to Yoruichi, "you…cowardly bitch!" Yoruichi slowly opened her one eye to look back at Harribel, whose blood was now pooling around her. Despite losing so much blood she didn't look like she was dying, her eyes were blazing with rage and Yoruichi was glad she had succeeded in her plan, if she hadn't nailed Harribel to the ground the general would've torn her to pieces even with a blade in her heart or bullets in her head.

"Just kill me" Harribel hissed, her hands stained with her own blood, "if you just leave me here…" Yoruichi pushed herself back to her feet, sighing as her muscles strained.

"You what? Come back to haunt me?" Yoruichi even managed a crooked grin at the general, "That would be quite entertaining."

"If you just leave me here, you will pay."

"I don't see you going anywhere soon" Yoruichi replied, already turning away to leave.

"Kill me!" Harribel shouted after her as Yoruichi walked away, not looking back. Yoruichi pushed her hair away from her face, sweat gleaming on her skin. After she turned a corner and finally lost the sound of Harribel's voice she leaned against the cold wall, hissing in pain as she pressed her hand to her wounded side. It was only a flesh wound and the bleeding had almost stopped already. But on top of everything else it felt like her stomach was torn open. _I will not die here, _she swore again as she started walking again, following Shiro closer to Aizen's private quarters.

* * *

><p>"Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck…." Shiro cursed with every step he took as he ran away from the fight between the general and Yoruichi, waiting to hear cries of pain which never came. Before long he had made it far enough not to hear them anymore and slowed down as he came to a long archway. Shiro bit down on his teeth as he recognized hallway from years back, tasting bitter in his mouth as the bad memories kept flooding into his mind. Without even thinking he drew out his scimitar, its weight felt in his hand made him feel secure. Shiro swallowed hardly as he slowly proceeded towards the large wooden doors that led to the main assembly hall where Aizen met with his generals. His own quarters were behind the next corner, right next to the torture chambers where he kept his most wanted prisoners. Shiro shivered as he passed by the large doors and felt his hand twitch to open them but pulled back, there was no way Ichigo would be held there. <em>No time. <em>

Shiro hurried his steps along the archway, not wanting to get caught in yet another meaningless fight that would only take up more of his time and energy. And he was already dangerously low on both. He almost skirted around the corner and again shuddered at the mere sight of those two steel-bolted doors looming in the distance. _What if…What if he's here? _Shiro suddenly realized he hadn't even thought of the possibility that Aizen would be here while his town was under attack, or at least it seemed to be. _Maybe…Maybe he knows it's me, maybe he knows I'm coming for him. Of course he would know! He would be just sitting there, waiting for me to come and then kill Ichigo right in front of me…_ Shiro almost growled out loud and sprang into a run, the doors were only few feet away. He passed Aizen's personal door and then came to the one he was looking for. Shiro lowered his hand on the handle but it was locked. _Oh for fuck's sake…_ Shiro closed his eyes as he touched the lock and then heard a satisfying click. He noticed his hand was shaking slightly as he pushed the handle down and the door swung softly open. _Here goes._

There was only darkness in the room. Even the light from the door didn't seem to pierce through it. Shiro cursed his white robes, he felt like a sitting duck as he walked inside the room, managing to suppress the flinch that came from the door slamming shut behind him. He stood silently in place for a while, trying to listen for any noises that would give away anyone who might be in the room. _What if he's not here? Where the fuck do I go then? _

"So you finally came. What took you so long?" Shiro's blood ran cold and he was glad he was already holding his scimitar, though he knew it wouldn't be much of a help. He tried to make out where the noise had come from but it was useless. He tried to listen for any sounds of movement that would give away his enemy's position, but nothing. A low chuckle resonated in the room and he heard the chaffing of fabric just few feet away.

"I've been waiting for quite some time. But luckily I had your little brother to keep me company." The mental image of his brother being tortured by Aizen's insane second-in command raked through Shiro's head, making shudders run down his spine.

"Son of a…!" Shiro snapped before he had time to bite his tongue, his head turning to locate the sound, "I swear I will flay you with my own hands, you sick bastard." Another light laugh grated Shiro's ears but now he could swear he heard a muffled voice close to it.

"I doubt you can even lay a finger on me, little Shiro. I, on the other hand, could lop off your head any second." Shiro spun his scimitar in his hand, ready to lash out.

"Try me."

"Oh, so serious, aren't we? I don't remember seeing your face like that when you were still here. Kisuke hasn't treated you well."

"You don't have the right to even say his name" Shiro hissed, slowly shuffling his feet forward, "you know nothing about me." Gin laughed again and suddenly a bright light flared up in the room, creating shadows in every corner. Shiro narrowed his eyes, trying to see clearly in the sudden brightness. Gin was standing in the middle of the room, his hands hidden inside his sleeves. Shiro eyes were drawn to the bundle at his feet covered with a white cloak and felt rage flow through him as he noticed the flash of orange hair poking out from under the cloak. Gin followed his eyes to the bundle and smiled lightly.

"I guess you came looking for this" he said as he leaned down to grab the cloak, "I must apologize, it might not be in the best possible condition." Shiro steeled himself for the worst as Gin drew the cloak away, only now noticing the blood stains on the cloth.

Ichigo lay curled up on the floor, in a puddle of his own blood. His back was to Shiro so he could see the scars running deep into his skin, lashes that seemed to be from a whip. Shiro felt his hands shaking from anger and almost ran straight to Ichigo but stopped when he noticed Gin was holding a small sword in his hand. Shiro had never actually sparred against Gin, mainly because the man could've killed him in an instant. But he had seen Gin fighting against other soldiers, he had barely been able to see the man move at all but somehow all his opponents had just fallen like puppets without strings after few seconds on the field with Gin. He usually left them in extreme pain, cutting off tendons or joints to incapacitate them, enjoying their cries of pain and the sight of blood running down the stones. Aizen had usually been watching on the sidelines, a grim smile on his face. Shiro felt disgust wash over him, it seemed Gin hadn't lost his taste for suffering in all these years.

"Oh don't worry, he's still very much alive. A stubborn one, your brother. But I think I should've known that."

"Ichigo, just hang in there, I'll get you out of here!" Shiro shouted at his brother, who tried to move to face him but was stopped as Gin lowered his foot on his head.

"Play nice" he warned in a low, almost inaudible voice before turning back to Shiro, "you don't seriously think this would be easy?" Shiro managed to strain his usual wicked smile across his face.

"For a moment there, I actually did." Gin returned the smile with his usual creepy emotionless smirk that made chills run through Shiro.

"Well maybe you won't mind me proving you wrong then." Gin flicked his sword around in his hand, still keeping his foot on Ichigo's head.

"You're welcome to try" Shiro replied, flexing his hands ready for battle. Gin looked more amused than usual as he finally took a step closer, leaving Ichigo behind him.

"You came for your brother" he said, now slowly walking towards Shiro, "well, you have to go through me first." Shiro's smile widened into a manic grin as he swung his sword in the air, pointing it towards Gin.

"With pleasure."

* * *

><p><em>Writing action scenes is a mess. But I think it turned out ok in the end. I need to watch more samurai movies or something. It's hard to make action interesting on paper, but it's worth a try I guess. <em>


	16. Chapter 16

_Ah man, feels good to be writing again. My computer broke and it took time to fix it, plus I have more deadlines coming up. But I decided to allow myself one night of fun with this._

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><p><strong>Chapter 16. <em>We're doomed, not saved<em>**

Kisuke's tent was crowded. The rebel generals and Seireitei troops were all standing around the large table as Kisuke tried to hold the court. To his chagrin, everyone was talking over him, shouting at each other and arguing about different strategies and slightly more personal issues. The rebel general was stuck in the middle of his own troops arguing that they knew better because they had been fighting Aizen for a decade now and Seireitei generals arguing that apparently they had been doing everything wrong since the war was still going on. Rangiku was going head to head with Mashiro and Lisa, Shinji was busy throwing snappy comments at Renji, mostly concerning his facial tattoos and hair. Shunsui was sorting out some old arguments with Love and Rose, Jyushiro trying to calm them all down. Toushiro was brooding quietly in the back but judging by the way his brow kept twitching, he was nearly ready to explode.

Kisuke stared at the map spread out in front of him, circling the capital marked on it. The news about Yoruichi had put him on edge, his brain was going on over drive trying to figure out the best strategy to get her back. _And Ichigo and the others as well. _Kisuke's finger stopped as he realized who was missing from the crowd around him.

"Where's Shiro?" he suddenly announced, but his voice was drowned among the arguing. Kisuke inhaled slowly before slamming his hand down against the table, making the others finally pay attention to him.

"Where is Shirosaki?" he repeated, laying a stern look at Shunsui, "Last time I saw him he was going back to the pass." Jyushiro exchanged worried looks with Shunsui, who nodded just noticeably and turned to Kisuke, who could already read bad news from the man's eyes.

"He came to the pass when we just arrived. He went after Aizen's soldiers, saying he knew where they were heading. I haven't heard of him since." Shinji cocked an eyebrow at the news, he couldn't say he was surprised.

"So he's gone off to play the hero, probably killing himself in the process. Big surprise" he said out loud, ignoring the glare Kisuke gave him.

"Could he have already made it to the capital?" Lisa asked, leaning closer to look at the map to calculate the approximate distance between the pass and the capital.

"If he hasn't stopped on the way" Kensei said, pushing past Love to get closer to the table and pointed at the map, "he's probably gone through the mountain range, it's the fastest way and easiest the avoid Aizen's guards."

"Is he really that fast?" Ikkaku doubted, making his way to the table as well to have a better look at the said route. Renji scoffed, crossing his arms on his chest.

"No fucking way, nobody's that fast on foot. Not even Kurosaki's little freak." The atmosphere suddenly tensed and every rebel general turned to look at Kisuke, who looked surprisingly calm. Instead, he flashed Renji a faint smile, the look in his eyes was almost amused.

"You have a lot to learn, Abarai. Don't be so quick to judge my experiments." The young soldier said nothing but couldn't answer to Kisuke's gaze, turning his head away and quietly slinking to the background.

"So if Shirosaki has reached the capital, what do we figure he has done after that?" Kisuke asked his audience.

"Got himself killed" Kensei said.

"Still trying to find a away inside" Lisa argued.

"Got himself caught and is being tortured by that little creeper" Love suggested.

"Ichimaru?" Rose asked.

"That's the guy." Kisuke eyes flashed to Rangiku just in time to see the woman flinch at the name, but he also saw Toushiro's eyes harden, his whole stance turning rigid.

"Let's try to be optimistic for a second here, shall we?" Kisuke suggested, "What if Shirosaki has actually made it inside the capital, isn't dead, hasn't been caught but instead found our hostages and is maybe able to get them out?" He got a full row of suspicious looks and shaking heads.

"Do you have any idea how remote that chance is? You're not giving Aizen much credit" Shinji said, but Kisuke refused to be crestfallen.

"It is remote, but it still IS a possibility. Shiro is no ordinary soldier, remember that."

"But he isn't immortal either, or in the possession of superhuman powers. Well, anything that would help him against a whole army" Renji pointed out.

"But he is stronger and faster, and his courage is teetering on suicidal. Plus, he has a very personal motivation driving him on" Rose argued, feeling the need to somehow defend one of their own.

"And what is that, pray tell?" Yumichika asked. Kisuke tapped his finger against the map before answering.

"His younger brother is once of the captives. Ichigo Kurosaki, the other son of Isshin Kurosaki."

"Aizen has Kurosaki's son?" Toushiro spat out, gaining everyone's attention as he finally spoke out, "Why wasn't this mentioned before?"

"We didn't know Aizen had hostages before you came along and told us" Kensei snapped at the young general, "maybe that's why."

"Don't you think that is a huge tactical point that needs to be taken into account when planning for our next move? We need to know all the details before deciding on anything this crucial" Toushiro argued.

"General Hitsugaya is right, this is an important point to considering in our tactics" Kisuke put in quickly, "but this all has happened very quickly, there hasn't been much time to consider all the information we have."

"Has anyone contacted Isshin about this?" Jyushiro asked, "I suppose he would like to know that both of his sons are in mortal danger."

"Kurosaki hasn't given two shits about Shiro for over ten years, why would he care now?" Shinji said, but was quickly silenced by Kisuke's stern glare.

"I have sent a word to Karakura as soon as we heard, the messenger should have arrived there just as we speak" he said, "and what goes to Isshin's fatherly care, that is between him and his sons." Shinji frowned at Kisuke but his eyes told him nothing besides for him to shut it. Jyushiro nodded to Kisuke, he had a feeling he'd be seeing yet another of his old comrades very soon.

"Alright, so if we presume that Shirosaki is alive, and that the hostages are alive as well, what do we do? Wait for them to come back?" Shinji asked, though sounding much less confrontational than before. Probably out of fear of Kisuke's anger, the man was very on edge at the moment.

"No, we need to act now and send him all the help we can. This capture, combined with the airstrike just days before, all points to that Aizen is getting ready for the final battle. We must prepare ourselves for that as well." Kisuke straightened himself and pushed his flopping hair back from his eyes, looking at Shunsui and Jyushiro. The two generals looked almost frighteningly serious for a change, something that caught the attention of their subordinates. Their vice-captains exchanged worried looks, they were more used to seeing the two men joking around and trying to slide away from work, not planning on a major attack against an enemy of this scale.

"So, you're saying we should just attack him head on? Just gathering all the troops will take at least a day, maybe two" Kensei noted, "you think we have that much time?"

"We could sent some people out there right now, just in case Shirosaki has made it out and only needs few people to help him back" Shunsui said, earning curious looks all around.

"You mean, people like us?" Ikkaku asked, pointing at his fellow soldiers, "Some kind of an elite task force?"

"Exactly" Jyushiro concurred, "it's easier to sneak past Aizen's defenses with few people who are skilled enough to take on a smaller troop of his minions." Shinji didn't look impressed, as didn't half of the rebel generals along with Renji, Ikkaku and Yumichika.

"So you wanna send out some generals to the capital on something that is basically a suicide mission? And for what, few rookies and Yoruichi, who probably would be better off alone. And as for Shiro" Shinji shook his head, "He's made up his fate already." Kisuke stared at one of his oldest friends for few seconds before lowering his head, everyone else was silent though they could feel the tension between the two.

"I will go" he finally said, "anyone who wants to join me can come." There was a shudder passing through the small crowd, the rebel generals looking at each other unsure of how they should react, waiting for someone to make the first move. Shunsui was the first the step forward, Jyushiro following right behind him.

"We will join you, Kisuke" Jyushiro promised.

"For old times sake" Shunsui added, managing a crooked smile at his old friend. There was movement behind them as Toushiro pushed past Rangiku and Renji to join the older generals.

"I will come too" the young man said, and for a second Kisuke was going to argue with him but seeing the look in Toushiro's eyes decided not to. Instead, he gave him a courteous nod and then turned to look at his own subordinates.

"I would join you Urahara, but you know I'm the only hope of getting these idiots moving within a day" Kensei said and earned a quick smile from Kisuke, "but we will come after you before you know it."

"Thank you Kensei, you're absolutely right." Mashiro stepped up to the plate, holding her head up high.

"I won't want you guys to hog all the fun" she said, glancing at the Seireitei generals with a mischievous glint in her eyes, "I wanna see how you old guys can keep up with me." Shunsui raised an eyebrow at the small woman.

"Is that a challenge?" Lisa was quick to join Mashiro, not wanting to be thought as a lesser soldier than her.

"If she goes, I'm coming too." After that both Rose and Love volunteered as well, and slowly everyone had promised to join Kisuke in his desperate mission. Everyone except Shinji.

Kensei glared at the man standing beside him, brooding quietly. He nudged his fellow general with his elbow, making him sway gently from side to side.

"Stop acting like a five-year-old, Shinji. Quit your whining and be a man for once." Shinji threw an ugly look at Kensei, then turning to everyone at the table.

"You are all going to die, you do know that?" Lisa scoffed, shrugging her shoulders.

"Better die trying than just wait here for the end and get killed off like a dog."

"At least we can take few of them with us" Love added.

"It will be a noble death" Rose concurred.

"A stupid, worthless death" Shinji argued, "and we would lose all of our leaders at the same time, what's the point in that?"

"May I say something?" Jyushiro asked, stepping forward.

"By all means Ukitake. The floor is yours" Kisuke said, gesturing for the man to speak.

"Actually, there might be some help on the way already" he started, glancing back at Shunsui, "when we heard of the severity of the situation here, we sent a word back to Seireitei and we are hopeful that they would finally be inclined to officially change their position on this issue." Kisuke raised his eyebrows at this revelation, as did most of his generals.

"What does that exactly mean?" Kensei asked. Shunsui cleared his throat and stepped to stand on Jyushiro's side.

"What we are hoping that it means, is that Seireitei would sent the rest of their troops to assist you in this war, finally making them your allies. In that case, they might catch up with us by the time your own soldiers follow up with us." The rebel generals were quiet, letting the information sink in.

"You mean...We might actually _win?" _Lisa asked, still sounding suspicious. Shunsui gave her a warm smile that made her look down at her feet.

"Yes, that's exactly what I mean." Kisuke closed his eyes, trying to inhale slowly to calm his nerves down.

"You see, even though Yoruichi has been in exile for the past decade, she is still a member of the royal family, so the hope is that her capture would be seen as such an audacious move on Aizen's part it would finally pressure old Yama-jii into waging war on Aizen" Shunsui continued, though no one was actually listening to him anymore, the rebel generals were too busy talking to each other and even his own subordinates were too surprised to pay any attention. Shunsui looked at Kisuke who was still standing there with his eyes closed, his expression unreadable. Slowly he raised his head up and there was that familiar burning in his eyes that Shunsui could still remember from days long past.

"Looks like this is finally it" he said, his voice a strange mix of content and weariness as he walked around the table, making all the generals quickly move out of his way, "let us not waste time anymore." Kensei was the first the acknowledge this command and strutted out, immediately starting to bark out orders to the troops to assemble and get ready to leave for battle. The rest of the rebel generals were quick to run out to their own tents to get ready, the only ones left in the tent were Kisuke and the Seireitei troops. Kisuke glanced at Shunsui and Jyushiro, despite his casual declaration of open war he still looked the nonchalant, slightly aloof man he always was.

"You're all coming with us?" he asked, sounding like he was merely asking them to join him for lunch instead of riding into battle.

"Yes, we are" Jyushiro said, "we are ready." Kisuke smiled faintly and looked at their subordinates, who looked less convinced.

"You don't all have to do this, you are young, you owe us nothing." There was a heavy silence before Rukia stepped up, standing beside her general.

"We all are sworn to protect the innocent and resist tyranny" she said with conviction unbecoming of someone her young age, "and that oath does not consider age or bureaucracy We will join you." Kisuke stared at Rukia for good few seconds before his face melted into a warm smile and he reached to tousle Rukia's short hair.

"Good to see there's still hope in the new generation" he said before turning to walk out of his tent, "we will reassemble at the southern edge of the camp in one hour, I will see you there."

* * *

><p>Uryuu and Chad skulked along the empty streets of the capital, they had only seen few soldiers patrolling in the wealthier area of the city. Uryuu was slightly suspicious, this felt too easy. He also felt guilty for leaving Yoruichi and Ichigo behind like this, there was no telling they would come back alive. Chad looked around another corner and nodded, they were already near the clearing Yoruichi had pointed out for them. Uryuu looked over his shoulder, still hoping he's see their friends coming after them. But the streets were empty.<p>

"They'll come" Chad told him, "don't worry."

"I don't" Uryuu said, though his face betrayed him, "I know they're coming. Kurosaki's way too stubborn to die here." Chad nodded slowly, he still believed that against all odds, they might all make it out alive.

"Let's keep moving" Uryuu said and gestured for Chad to move on. They quickly ran along the street and could finally see the fountain Yoruichi had mentioned. Chad suddenly stopped, almost making Uryuu ram straight into his back.

"Maybe we should wait" Chad said, "there are no guards here, it should be safe enough." Uryuu squinted and rubbed his eyes, Chad's suggestion was alluring to him too but also very dangerous. If they would encounter some guards, it would be very probable they would end up dead.

"Just for a little while" Chad added, knowing full well what Uryuu thought. The young man glanced up at his friend and then sighed in defeat.

"Alright, but let's find somewhere to hide. There might be guards inside these houses" he said, nodding towards the large mansions around them surrounded by high marble walls. Chad complied and they carefully entered the clearing, keeping an eye on possible hiding places for guards and soldiers.

"Looks safe" Uryuu noted with a deep frown, he was still troubled. There was something irking him in the back of his mind, like someone had been following them ever since they had departed with Yoruichi. But he had seen no one following them or heard anything. _Maybe I'm just paranoid, we are in the middle of the enemy base_. Chad pointed to a small alleyway that had a straight eyeline to the clearing.

"We could hide there, we could see if anyone comes here. And the passageway should be somewhere close too." Uryuu agreed and the young men made their way to the small alleyway, Uryuu already felt slight relief as he spotted the secret passageway Yoruichi had told them about. They still had to make it through the desert but just getting out of the city was so against all the odds surviving the desert seemed like a leisure stroll.

Just as Uryuu and Chad were turning to the alleyway, a loud thunk from behind them stopped them on their tracks. Uryuu immediately felt cold sweat glide down his neck as he dreaded to look what had caused the noise. He could hear his heart thumping in his ears as he turned around and saw who had been after them apparently the whole time.

"Oh gods" he whispered almost inadvertently as he recognized the man standing just about fifty feet away, the sound had come from his large halberd he had stuck to the ground. The man's face split into a maniacal grin that sent shivers down Uryuu's spine. Behind him he could hear Chad swallow hardly at the sight of the bloodthristy general eyeing them like a tasty meal.

"Not so fast" Nnoitra hollered at them, easily swinging his halberd back in the air and pointing it at the two young soldiers, "chasing you was fun but your little trip ends here." The general's grin only seemed to widen, revealing his frighteningly large teeth as he spun the large weapon in the air as if it weighed nothing.

"Aizen will be pleased to see your heads decorating the walls of the city gates." Uryuu tried to calm down his nerves and think of a strategy that would at least give one of them a chance to survive this.

"Sado, I still have have few of those vials left" he whispered to his friend, "we might be able to distract him long enough to make a run for it."

"What if he comes after us?"

"We could collapse the tunnel." Uryuu could sense Chad's response to his suggestion, blowing up the passageway would give them a chance to escape but also trap Ichigo and Yoruichi in the capital without a chance to escape.

"We have to fight, try to survive till they come. They can't be far." Uryuu closed his eyes, feeling desperation take over himas he weighed their options. Fighting against this madman , even if for a little while, would be hopeless. But they couldn't leave the others behind either.

"Alright" he said, "I'll have your back, try to keep him away from the passageway and I'll figure a good chance to snare him." Chad hummed in response and drew out a large mace he had found in one of the barracks. Uryuu slid few precious vials into his hand from the stash inside his sleeve. There were few more strapped to his chest, but he'd rather not use those in such a confined space. Enemy territory or not, there might be innocent civilians in these houses.

"Ready?" Nnoitra was still standing his ground, apparently waiting for them to make the first move. Chad lunged into an attack and Uryuu dashed into the opposite direction, his eyes calculating their surroudings for the best spot to aim his small bombs. He tried to keep an eye on Chad as well, as the young soldier ran towards the general who still hadn't even moved. Uryuu felt his muscles tense from the sheer terror the man struck into his very core, the air of death lingered around the general like a filthy aura. Uryuu was almost certain the man would be able to kill them both with nothing but his bare hands, and he prayed it wouldn't come to that.

Chad was now close enough to try and land a hit on the general, whose eyes suddenly snapped at his direction just as the mace swung at him. In a bat of an eye the general had slashed with his halberd and the mace was flung to the cobbled stones, quickly followed by a spurt of blood. Uryuu froze as he saw a red fountain splash from Chad's arm and see his friend stagger backwards.

"Sado!" he shouted and instictively started to run towards his friend but stopped as Chad raised his hand to him, blood kept dripping to the ground from the deep wound.

"Stay back!" Chad ordered him, biting down on his teeth as another spat of blood sputtered out from his arm. Uryuu could feel the pugnant stench from far away. Nnoitra let out a cackling laughter as drew his finger across the stained blade of his weapon.

"Killing you two will be like slaughtering helpless children" he said, throwing a look at Uryuu whose legs were shaking under him, "only less fun. At least they cry." Nnoitra pointed his halberd back at Chad who was already swaying from the blood loss.

"Maybe I'll make you beg before you die. That would at least add some fun to this." Chad stumbled backwards, his eyes darting to his weapon lying few feet away on the ground. Uryuu knew he would never make it, the general would cleave his head off in a split second if Chad even tried to reach his weapon. He glanced back at the passageway, he might be able to make it alone if Nnoitra was busy with Chad..._No! I'm not letting him die here alone in the hands of that madman. _

Uryuu inhaled slowly and rolled the small vials in his hands, eyeing the part of the wall just behind Nnoitra. If he aimed right, he might just be able to collapse the wall on top of the man, or at leats distract him for few precious seconds to he could give Chad a chance to run away. Uryuu moved few steps to the side just as Nnoitra stepped closed to Chad, who was slowly veering towards his discarded weapon. The mad general looked almost nonchalant as he kept spinning his enormous weapon in the air, blood spattering the walls and cobbled stones from its blade. He looked at Chad whose face was slowly turning paler and his shoulders jumped from laughter.

"Do you know any good prayers, boy? I love to hear them, they always say them with such conviction just before their heads roll from their shoulders" he said as he finally grabbed tightly onto the hilt of his halberd, raising it up ready to swing down, "amuse me, boy." Uryuu narrowed his eyes as he tried to count the ideal place to aim his explosive vial, but his hand kept shaking as he kept looking at Chad who was now leaning heavily against the stone wall, his chest heaving as blood poured from his wound. _Few seconds, please God, please..._

Uryuu felt his blood run cold as he heard Chad's deep voice starting to murmur silently, recognizing the words being in his family's native tongue esperanto. The young soldier was doing like Nnoitra had asked and prayed for his life. The general laughed loudly, the sound echoing from the stone wall around them.

"That's a new one! Brilliant! You didn't disappoint me after all!" The halberd blade rose as Uryuu suddenly noticed he couldn't move, he could only stand and watch as his oldest friend prepared for his execution, his head bowed down in a quiet prayer and his unwounded hand clasping onto the small necklace around his neck. The halberd's blade started to descend slowly just as Uryuu finally managed to force his arm to move and the vial almost slipped through his fingers as something flashed in the sidelines of his vision and there was a loud clash of steel against steel instead of the dull thump of a head dropping to the ground. Uryuu blinked as he realized something had stopped Nnoitra's halberd from beheading Chad, a sword was now blocking the blade and holding it back. Nnoitra's face twisted into a furious grimace as he tottered back, seething with anger.

"You bitch" he spat out at the person who had saved the young soldier. Uryuu got a better look at the mysterious savior and saw long green hair spilling out from under a standard Aizen's army uniform, though its legs were ripped short, revealing long tanned legs. _Woman's legs, _Uryuu realized and blinked again, trying to take in all this new information. The woman pulled the head scarf from her face, the whole time keeping her eyes on Nnoitra and her sword ready to strike.

"Neliel" the general hissed, switching his halberd from one hand to another, "you're supposed to be dead."

"Sorry to disappoint" the woman replied, her voice surprisingly light and sounding much younger than she looked. She glanced at Chad over her shoulder, even sparing him a warm smile.

"You okay there?" Chad managed to nod at her, he too was dumbstruck of this sudden turn of events.

"Good" Neliel replied and turned back to Nnoitra, "I see you're still prying on helpless children, Nnoitra." The general spat on the ground as he spun his weapon in his hand.

"Maybe you should've killed me back then, you would've saved all those little kids screaming for their mother" he snapped at the woman, whose face was fixed into an emotionless mask, "you got as much blood in your hands as I do." Nnoitra paused to flash her a viscious smirk and a low chuckle escaped from his mouth.

"You want to know how your little friends screamed when they died? It was the most fun I've ever had killing someone. They screamed, they begged, they cried _your _name just before they died. I planted their heads on the wall, and waited for you to come back. But you disappointed me, Neliel. You have no moral highground on me anymore, you pious, stuck-up bitch." Neliel seemed unfazed by Nnoitra's insults and leaned her weight back on her left feet, ready to spring into an attack.

"I won't disappoint you anymore, Nnoitra. I will kill you, and give my friends the peace in death they deserve. I won't let you beg before you die, your head will land at my feet and I will spit on your dead corpse." The two soldiers glared at each other with such distain it would've probably killed a weaker person. Uryuu noticed he had stopped breathing for a second and tried to steady his breath. He glanced at Chad, who was already passing out from the bloodloss. _I have to get to him before he bleeds out, _Uryuu thought as he looked at the two soldiers now preying at each other and slowly moving away from his friend. _If I only get the chance..._ Neliel and Nnoitra clashed weapons, the painful sound of steel biting into steel filled Uryuu's ears. At the other side of the clearing Chad's eyes were rolling to the back of his head as he slowly slumped to the ground, lying in a pool of his own blood. Uryuu clenched his hands into fists so hard his nails bit into his palms. _Kurosaki, whatever I might have said to you...Please, hurry!_

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><p><em>Hah, so overly dramatic! Well, I did find a way to smuggle Neliel into the story, one of my favourites. The next chapter shouldn't take long, I already have it almost done. We'll see how Shiro bears against Gin, very exciting! Till next time, peeps!<em>


	17. Chapter 17

**And it's finally here! Enjoy it while it lasts!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 17.<em> Innocence is over<em>**

The clanging of steel echoed from the stone walls as Gin stroke down with his sword, the muscles cording in his skinny arms as he pushed down to make Shiro fall to his knees. The young man gritted his teeth as he pushed back, his feet sliding under him. Almost too fast for him to notice, Gin had pulled back and was attacking him again, this time delivering sharp jabs in quick succession, managing to nick Shiro's skin on his arms and even reaching his face, cutting open the pale skin just under his eye. The young man jumped back, already out of breath as he secured his hold on his scimitar. The weight of the weapon was pulling his arm down, he couldn't even keep his stance up anymore. The battle had just started with him attacking Gin first, trying to catch him off-guard but it had been a false hope. If anything, the man had become faster and better during the years and even with his enhanced abilities, Shiro was barely able to keep up with him. He wasn't sure if he could match evenly with Gin even at his best, the young general seemed untouchable.

Shiro quickly pushed back the loose strands of hair that were falling on his eyes, then grabbed his scimitar with both hands. He knew it would make him slower but he'd have more strengths behind his strikes, if he'd ever get even close to landing a hit on Gin. The general cocked his head to the side as he watched Shiro struggle, to him this was merely light amusement. He spun his weapon in his hand, even throwing a glance at Ichigo's still body behind him.

"Maybe we should move over there" he said to Shiro, nodding to the back of the room, "so your brother could see what kind of a hero you really are." Shiro snarled, trying hard not to let his anger take a hold of his senses. In the back of his mind he could feel his desperation irking him to try and end this with a single blow, but he had no idea what would happen. Judging from what had happened with Grimmjow, he might end up killing them all, or just himself. He was't sure which would be worse.

Shiro felt a shiver run through his spine as he prepared for the next attack. He couldn't be sure he'd last for long anymore, unless he came up with a better plan than defeating the man head on. Then he suddenly noticed a slight movement just behind Gin. Shiro frowned as he realized Ichigo appeared to be conscious, and wriggled on the floor. An idea came to him but he knew that it was almost as dangerous as trying to win Gin with his innate powers. _But I have to distract him first, and at the same time communicate with Ichigo...Shit. _

Gin sighed and flicked his silvery hair from his face.

"Ready to go or do you still need to have a breather? I'm only asking because I'm nice" he said, still wearing that infuriating smirk on his face. Shiro snapped back to reality and felt his muscles tense. Without a word he lunged at Gin, at the last moment spinning around to sidestep behind him and crouching down, reaching for the man's knees with his sword. Gin managed to dodge the curious attack and swiped down with his sword, only to have it swing at nothing as Shiro already rolled away from his reach. Gin chuckled lightly at this new tactic but was quick to follow after Shiro, who was now just few feet away from Ichigo.

"So you took my advice? Interesting" Gin said, and not giving Shiro any more time to relax, he closed the distance between them and slashed violently at him just as the young man was getting back to his feet. Shiro blocked the attack, his arms shaking under pressure. Gin's eyes were cracked open into thin slits, revealing eyes so pale blue they were almost white.

Shiro jerked forward, trying to push Gin off from balance and used the split second to draw his sword away from the lock and aimed a kick at Gin's feet. The general jumped out of the way, his knees pressed to his chest and as he landed back to the ground, he stayed crouched down and spun around, trying to swipe Shiro off his feet. Shiro somersaulted backwards, careful not to cut himself with his weapon and ended up facing Ichigo. Throwing a quick glance at his stirring brother, his eyes were slowly fluttering open. Shiro bit his lip as his eyes flashed between Gin and Ichigo, not wanting to have the general too close to his brother but for his plan to work, he needed to somehow communicate with him without Gin noticing. _But I have __no_ _idea if he can even move, not to mention get up. _Shiro bounced back to his feet, ripping off his torn sleeves and the upper part of his stolen uniform. _Improvisation time. _

Gin smiled quaintly as he watched Shiro mess around, he had been planning on taking his time with the kid but if fighting him was going to continue being this boring, he'd have to cut it short. Aizen would already punish him for not bringing Shirosaki to him directly but instead playing with him on his own. _Oh well, may__be this will prove to be worth it. _Shirosaki had torn off the top off his stolen uniform, his pale arms were criss-crossed with small bleeding wounds, colouring his white skin with red. He spun his scimitar in the air, and then finally wearing that familiar smirk Gin remembered from years before.

"Ready to get serious?" Gin asked him, shuffling closer.

"Sorry for the wait" Shiro replied, stepping to the side to be further away from Ichigo and kicked one of the pieces of his uniform out of the way, managing to land it directly on Ichigo's face. Gin didn't seem to notice, his eyes were fixed on Shiro as the young man almost casually kept spinning his weapon, his grin ever widening as he moved.

Shiro flexed his arms, feeling his skin tingle. His long hair swayed gently behind him, slightly streaked with blood from his earlier fights. The deeper wound on his arm from the battle with Grimmjow had stopped bleeding but was still impairing his strength and aim. He'd have to ignore those feelings for the moment, letting the adrenaline take care of that for now. Shiro finally stopped his sword, grabbing the hilt firmly and finding some odd consolation in its familiar feel and weight. Gin was still circling around him, looking curious as if he was fighting with an exotic animal. Shiro kept his eyes on the young general, never turning his back to him but not making the first move either.

"What, scared now?" Gin asked him, keeping his own sword almost hidden inside his sleeve. Shiro didn't answer, letting the look in his eyes do the talking for him. Gin felt excited but also slightly scared, it started to look like the young freak had finally snapped. And fighting with lunatics was a whole different song and dance.

Suddenly Shiro let out a low laugh, the sound forming somewhere deep in his chest and blood stained his lips as the sound dropped from his mouth. Gin felt a shiver run through his spine, he could swear he wasn't fighting with the same man anymore. Shiro rolled his shoulders back and stretched his neck, a loud crunching sound made Gin grimace. He didn't have time to say anything about it as Shiro's sword suddenly came swinging at him, and would've sliced his chest open if he hadn't blocked it with his own weapon. Gin grunted as he tried to push Shiro back but there was something wrong. Shiro pulled back and started a series of attacks almost too fast for the naked eye to see, but Gin managed to block them all, even if he was on defense. After the initial shock, Gin started to enjoy this. Maybe he'd get some fun out of this freak after all.

As the two men fought, Ichigo finally stirred enough to open his eyes. He had felt something slap his face and heard grunts and shuffling of feet and fabric around him. Ichigo shook his head to get rid of the rag on his face so he could see what was happening, he wasn't even sure if he was still in that dark chamber where he had been brought before. Slowly the pain from his wounds started to register in Ichigo's brain and he had to bite down on his teeth so he wouldn't cry out in agony.

Ichigo managed to turn to his stomach, arching his back and his knees scraping the floor. The rag finally slid from his face and he batted his eyes in the surprising brightness of the room. There was a torch almost right next to him and in its light he could see two shadows dancing, their swords almost twisting on impact as if they could barely stand the raw power of their wielders. Ichigo turned his head to see who the fighters were and had to hold back a gasp as he saw Shiro's familiar figure just few feet away, crossing swords with the same sadistic man who had tortured him. Ichigo felt his anger flare up as he noticed the bleeding wounds all over Shiro's bare upper body, the red streaks stark contrast on his white skin. He was fighting on par with the general but Ichigo could see he was exhausted and wouldn't last long at this pace. _I have to do something. He came to save me. _

Shiro noticed slight movement in the sidelines of his vision but couldn't turn to look, Gin''s sword would pass through his defense if he lost focus for even split second and that would be the end. He hoped Gin felt the same and was too busy to notice anything before it was too late. Shiro sliced through the air violently, aiming for Gin's abdomen but the general stepped back, the blade merely brushing at the fabric of his uniform. Shiro was yet to land a single hit on him and could feel the rush of adrenaline starting to drain. He ground his teeth in frustration as he barely managed to dodge another slash of Gin's sword, sharply jerking to the side as the blade missed his face by mere inch. Gin didn't waste a second and switched the blade's direction, bringing it back towards Shiro's face. The young man raised his sword in front of him, pressing his other arm against its blade to hold back Gin's sword. The sharp steel bit into his skin but at least it kept Gin at bay for few seconds more and Shiro's head on his shoulders. Shiro pulled his arm back, a trail of blood splashing to the floor in a perfect curve and aimed for Gin's head, nicking few hairs off. The general laughed, jumping few steps back.

"I was expecting far more from you, Shirosaki. Even your brother was more entertaining when he was bound." Shiro used this chance to catch his breath and steal a better look at Ichigo, who had now made it to his feet. He looked as if he was just about to collapse but managed to stay upright. Shiro felt cold sweat run down his neck as he waited for Gin to turn around and see his brother. In desperate attempt to distract the general for few seconds more, Shiro leaped through the air, bringing his sword down towards Gin's head. The man dodged the attack, bending his knees to lean back and let the sword whoosh over his head. Shiro landed right in front of him and had to grab Gin's arm when the man tried to stab his stomach. Their faces were only inches apart, Shiro could see sweatbeads on Gin's face and his slightly flushed cheeks. The man's arm was only skin and bones in his grip but the strenght behind it was almost terrifying, Shiro could barely keep him at his place even though he was pushing back with his whole weight.

Gin smirked as he watched Shiro trying to push him back, the young soldier was out of breath and completely run down by this point. Gin had had his fun but this was merely tiring now, though watching the young freak struggle for his life was somewhat entertaining. His desperate glances at his half-dead brother made it all the more amusing, Gin knew Shiro was fully aware of what would happen to Ichigo once Gin was done with him. _Maybe I should just cut him down and let __the other one__ watch, _Gin thought as he finally wrenched his hand away from Shiro's grasp, trying to lunge forward to stab him in the stomach again. The young soldier twisted his body to dodge the blade, the weapon only cutting through air. Shiro tried to step behind Gin and reached his arm to wrap it around Gin's neck, but before he had a chance to get a proper grip, the man turned around and lashed wildly at Shiro's arm. Shiro quickly jumped back, almost losing an eye to Gin's sudden attack. The general gave him a scolding tut but was suddenly distracted by something behind Shiro's back. Shiro realized his mistake second later and stole a quick look over his shoulder. Ichigo was struggling to stay on his feet, swaying as he tried to stable himself. His face was stained with blood and his arms still tied behind his back. Shiro felt the urge to ran to his brother and help him but knew Gin wouldn't give him the chance.

"How precious" the man said almost jovially, "the two Kurosaki brothers finally together. Shame it won't last long." Shiro gave into his instincts and instead of trying to stop Gin he turned his back to the general and ran to his brother. Ichigo tried to open his mouth to say something when Shiro slammed into him, tackling him back to the floor. Once down, Shiro quickly rolled away and they heard the clank of steel crashing into the stone floor. Shiro pushed Ichigo behind his back as he got back to his feet, standing above his wounded brother. Gin had also stood back up, shaking is arm after the impact with the floor had numbed it.

"Nice moves" the man said, "but no real warrior turns his back on his enemy. You have no chance of beating me when you're still like this, a mere child with some powers and a weapon." Shiro grumbled as he tried to focus again, but he was exhausted, barely keeping on his feet and his body ached even more after the sudden dive to the floor to save Ichigo. Gin barely had been touched by his blade and hadn't been travelling and fighting all day. Shiro realized he didn't even remember the last time he ate or slept.

"Ichigo, I'm sorry" he murmured quietly, though he was sure Gin could hear him anyway.

"Don't be" was Ichigo's equally quiet answer, "just kill him."

"I..." Shiro started to argue but was cut off as Ichigo started to struggle back to his feet.

"If you won't do it, I will" his brother said with a smirk, though he could barely move. Gin looked intrigued by this new turn of events, eyeing Ichigo curiously.

"You're more your father's son than your brother here" he noted, then his smile twisted, "which isn't really a surprise."

"Shut up" Ichigo snapped, sounding much stronger than he looked, "you don't know my father. You don't me, or my brother. You know nothing." Gin let out a small laugh and shook his head at Ichigo's defiance.

"I know more than you ever will, kid. Even if you didn't die here today, you would still remain an ignorant child till the day you die."

"The things you know have no worth unless you're a twisted maniac, so we won't be bothered" Shiro quipped, feeling strangely stronger as if gaining strenght from Ichigo's boasting and just by having someone on his side.

"You two boys are well in over your heads" Gin sighed, gripping his sword again, "but don't worry, you'll soon be relieved of those."

"Is he saying he'll cut off our heads?" Ichigo asked Shiro, "but his sword is tiny."

"Don't let it fool you" Shiro replied, glancing down at his numeral wounds, "he knows how to use it." Ichigo and Shiro stared at each other for a second before turning back to Gin, who had graciously waited for them to finish their brotherly moment.

"Quite finished now, are you?" the general asked them, slowly moving his right leg behind him. Shiro glanced at Ichigo again, he knew the young man was barely staying on his feet and his hands were still tied behind his back. Shiro suddenly realized how incredibly insane they both were, actually thinking they could win against a general like this. _Guess that runs in the family. _

Suddenly, Ichigo lunged forward, surprising both Shiro and Gin with his boldness. The general recovered quickly and prepared to impale the young soldier with his sword as he ran towards him. Shiro took his chance and circled to Gin's other side, ready to attack him once he was preoccupied with Ichigo. Ichigo almost hit Gin head on, but then dropped to his knees, making Gin's sword whoosh over his head. The general turned in time to block Shiro's fierce slash that would've sliced his head open. Ichigo pushed himself against the general's feet, making him wobble out of balance and Shiro managed to finally land a hit on him, blood staining the sleeve of the general's pure white uniform. Gin's face twisted in a pained and angry grimace and he swiftly kicked Ichigo away from his feet, making the young man cough up blood on the floor.

"Stupid children!" Gin snarled as Shiro was at him again. Ichigo didn't take long before he was back on his feet, though in his weakened state he almost fell right back on his knees. Gin and Shiro kept clashing together, the general was slowly giving into his rage and making bolder moves, which would've in a normal situation brought Shiro down but now he was drawing strength from his brother, who was circling them looking for a chance to intervene again.

"So naïve, stupid, careless" Gin ranted from between his clenched teeth as he stepped closer to Shiro to rip open his stomach with his blade, "thinking you could save anyone, pathetic!" Shiro didn't respond anymore, he was focusing on keeping his head on his shoulders for just little bit longer. Gin's eyes were darting between him and Ichigo, knowing not to be fooled by his seemingly weak state. Shiro jerked his foot forward, trying to stomp on Gin's feet, earning a furious snarl from the general.

"Petty tricks!" he accused as he slashed at Shiro's face, this time almost cutting off his ear. Ichigo took his chance to ram into Gin again, though the general again turned and tried to stab him between the ribs. Shiro grabbed Gin's uniform, trying to pull him down. With the combined effect of Ichigo slamming into him and Shiro pulling on his clothes, Gin finally lost his balance and stumbled down to the floor. But he was far from defeated yet, he pushed Ichigo away and with his free hand slashed at Shiro who was crouched next to him. Ichigo groaned in pain as yet another kick made his ribs almost break and Shiro knew they were running out of time and energy. Gin looked furious as he jumped back to his feet, his sword ready to drop down on Shiro's neck.

"This nonsense ends now" he declared, but then he fell forward as Ichigo managed to tangle his feet with Gin's. Shiro seized the opportunity and quickly rose up, holding his scimitar with both hands. Gin's eyes snapped wide open as the blade pierced through his chest, his own weight pushing it further. He grabbed the blade, dropping his own weapon and tried to pull the scimitar from his chest. Blood started to flow out of his mouth, staining both his own uniform and Shiro's.

"You little shit" he sighed as his hands clawed at the steel portruding his body, "you've ruined everything."

"Sorry" Shiro replied almost instictively. Amusement flashed in Gin's eyes just before they closed.

"You'll save no one" he repeated before his final breath. Then Shiro could feel his heartbeat stop and everything was quiet.

Shiro looked at Ichigo and sighed, a faint smile flashing on his face. As Gin's body slowly slid from his blade and thunked to the floor, Shiro jerked forward, his legs finally betraying under him and his sword slipping from his bloodied fingers. Ichigo quickly stepped closer and tried to push him back to his feet, letting Shiro lean his weight against Ichigo's shoulder. Shiro's bloodied hand grabbed Ichigo's arm as he tried to regain his balance, his long hair brushing on Ichigo's skin. He pressed forehead against Ichigo's neck, breathing slowly. Ichigo leaned his head against Shiro's and closed his eyes, the fatigue washed over him and almost made him black out right then and there. He felt Shiro's hands wrapping around him and his breath hitched, but then he realized Shiro was untying his bounds. Ichigo hissed in pain as blood slowly started to flow back to his hands, flexing his wrists. Shiro was still leaning against him, his arms now idly hanging on Ichigo's sides.

"Sorry" Shiro managed to mumble, almost too quietly to hear. Ichigo snorted, raising his hand to pat Shiro on the back, his fingers tangling into his brother's long hair.

"For what, needing my help?" Shiro didn't answer, he just stared down to the floor at the small puddle of his own blood that was slowly growing.

"Idiot." Ichigo's tired voice made Shiro finally push back and look at his face, he could only imagine he looked just the same. Tired to the brink exhaustion, beaten and bruised, so weak they could barely stand. But at the same time Shiro felt elated seeing that Ichigo was still alive. He just hoped his brother could feel the same.

"What?" Ichigo's mouth curled into a smile, a stark contrast to his tired eyes and bloodied face.

"There's nothing you should be sorry for" he said, "you saved me. You came for me and almost got killed. That's more than I'll ever deserve from you." Shiro swallowed, even that felt painful.

"I...Failed. I was too late" he said, every word made more painful by having to look Ichigo in the eyes. There were still the same soft brown but something had changed, and Shiro knew it was because he had been too late.

"I'm...I'm sorry Ichigo. I never meant for you to..." Ichigo pressed his forehead against Shiro's, silencing his further words.

"Shut up, idiot. I'm too tired to listen anyway." Shiro tried to say something but then just sighed, letting his eyes slowly close. They stood in silence for what felt like hours until Shiro almost fell asleep and had to force himself back to his own feet. He glanced at Gin's lifeless body just a feet away.

"We should leave" he said, his voice had regained its usual sharp edge. He turned to Ichigo, assessing the young man's condition.

"Can you walk?" Ichigo took one hesitant step and nodded.

"I think so." Ichigo looked back at Shiro, if before his brother had resembled more ghost than human, now he looked like a walking corpse.

"Can you?" Shiro didn't even answer, just picked up his sword from the floor and started to slowly drag towards the door. Ichigo looked at Gin's body on the floor and then noticed his sword that was lying beside him. With a second's hesitation he picked it up and then followed Shiro to the door. Shiro threw a sideways at the sword now in Ichigo's hand, a onesided grin on his face.

"You think you'll be ready to defend yourself?"

"You don't really look you have much more in you anymore, I have to try" Ichigo replied with an almost identical smirk. Shiro felt a stranger shiver run through him as he looked at Ichigo, on some level he had prepared for never talking to him again. Shiro wondered what he would've done then, probably gotten himself killed too while trying to avenge his brother. Or then make it back alive. _And face Dad, tell him I couldn't save his son. _

Shiro had to turn away, this still wasn't the time to get distracted. They were now standing at the door, both imagining what was waiting for them beyond it.

"So...What's the plan?" Ichigo asked.

"There's a small secret passageway in the better part of town, it's our best chance. It's not that far away from here so if we make it, we can get out and back to the camp."

"What about Ishida and Chad, and Yoruichi?" Shiro grimaced at the mention of Yoruichi's name.

"Last time I saw Yoruichi, she was fighting with one of the generals. I don't know if she made it." Ichigo's hands clenched into fists.

"What about Ishida and Chad?"

"I think Yoruichi said they had managed to escape, and aiming for the passageway too. Either they've made it, or then... Not." Ichigo was quiet, Shiro didn't even want to see his face at that moment.

"They've made it, I know they have" Ichigo said with strong conviction, "we'll meet then once we're out of here." Shiro decided not to say anything, he knew the realities of warfare better than his brother but Ichigo had already lost a good deal of his innocence today. He didn't want to take it all away from him.

"Okay, let's get going before they start to miss us" he said, finally pushing the heavy doors open. Ichigo inhaled the fresh air into his lungs, it feel cool on his skin. Shiro carefully checked their surroundings before stepping outside, gesturing Ichigo to follow. The sun was already setting, soon it would be night and the coldness would set in. Shiro glanced at his own torn uniform and Ichigo's near naked state, if they tried to cross the desert back to rebel campsite like this, they would freeze to death.

"We need to find some equipment if we want to survive the trip back" Shiro said as they skulked along the now empty corridor.

"How do you figure we do that?"

"We could break into a house." Ichigo raised an eyebrow but didn't disagree, he realized this wasn't the time to stick to his morals.

"Okay, you lead the way then." Shiro threw a glance at Ichigo and smirked at him.

"Nice to see you finally trusting me."

"What choice do I have?" Ichigo replied, again with a near identical smile. It was eerily like looking into a mirror.

"Just follow me then, and hope we don't see anymore people who want us dead." Ichigo chuckled lowly, Shiro realized even his laughter was starting to sound similar to his own. He wasn't sure whether it was a good or a bad thing.

"With our luck, that's a fat chance."

"Worth a try anyway" Shiro said as they continued sneaking ahead, heading for the old part of town towards the secret passageway.

"It's not like we have any other way out of here, is it?" Shiro suddenly stopped, he could swear he had heard something. Something that sounded like an explosion.

"Sounds like someone is planning on using the same way out" he told Ichigo as he started to jog towards the old town. Ichigo didn't even dare to say out loud what he hoped it would prove to be, his wishes had been crushed today many times already.

* * *

><p><em>Finally got to write Ichigo and Shiro together, it's been way too long! Some brotherly love amidst all the bloodshed. <em>


End file.
